Attacks of coughing at night in an adult can not only interfere with sleep, but also become a serious cause for concern. The appearance of a characteristic cough syndrome often indicates the presence of a disease. To effectively combat the disease should establish the factors affecting its education.
Reasons for the appearance
Various circumstances can cause a cough at night. Many of them are not a big problem and can be easily fixed. A dry, short cough often leads a person out of deep sleep. Attacks can be repeated at short intervals, without expectoration. Among the common causes of malaise, some are especially popular:
- Household dust deposited on the walls of the respiratory tract causes irritation of the mucous membranes, provoking coughing. During the repair process in the room, a person is forced to inhale microscopic particles for a long time, which subsequently cause an ailment.
- Pungent smoke can cause a dry cough. During the summer, windows are often open in the apartments, which contributes to the penetration of unpleasant odors from the street. Frequent inhalation of tobacco smoke by a non-smoker can cause wheezing in adults at night.
- Some cleaning chemicals have a strong specific odor. This causes allergic reactions that irritate the mucous membranes.
- The musty, too dry or humid air in the bedroom often causes coughing attacks during sleep.
These factors are easily eliminated in order to restore good rest. Regular ventilation of the room, wet cleaning with the use of disinfectants will help ensure access to fresh and clean air. However, the presence of additional symptoms may indicate the development of pathologies of the respiratory system. Coughing attacks at night in an adult without fever are often the result of such diseases:
- tuberculosis;
- whooping cough;
- bronchitis;
- asthma;
- reflux disease
- disturbances in the work of the cardiovascular system.
To correctly diagnose malaise, you should pay attention to the secondary signs accompanying a night cough.
Symptom Definition
The manifestation of the disease is characterized by certain features that help to diagnose it. Tuberculosis is accompanied by frequent bouts of wet cough, severe sweating, painful cramps in the chest area. If the cough is worse when lying down, shortness of breath, palpitations, general weakness during the day are present, most likely the person has problems with the cardiovascular system.
Symptoms of reflux disease are heartburn, the appearance of an acidic taste in the oral cavity, and hiccups. Rejecting gastric contents into the esophagus, irritating receptors, often causes coughing attacks at night in an adult. Cough syndrome, recurring during sleep, causing nausea, vomiting, dizziness, indicates the development of whooping cough.
The separation of sputum, thick mucus, accompanying coughing attacks at night in an adult, after colds is considered common. As a rule, this indicates the patient's recovery. However, the presence of an unpleasant odor from secretions can be cause for concern. This factor characterizes the inflammatory processes of the respiratory system, lung abscesses.
Diagnosis of ailment
An irritating cough during sleep is a signal for consultation with a specialist. In most cases, a detailed description of the patient’s symptoms, frequency, and sensations allows the doctor to make a preliminary diagnosis. To confirm or exclude the disease, the patient is prescribed blood, urine, and sputum tests.
An additional x-ray of the chest, MRI, consultation of specialists of a narrow profile. Based on a full examination, the doctor diagnoses the disease, prescribes treatment. Its effectiveness largely depends on the complexity and form of the ailment, clear and careful compliance with the requirements.
Consequences of the common cold
High fever, runny nose, sputum production often accompany respiratory, viral and colds. Many people wonder what to do, coughing attacks at night continue even after recovery. First of all, it is necessary to identify the causes of an uncomfortable state during sleep. Among the influencing factors, the following are often highlighted:
- damage to the mucous membrane from exposure to a bactericidal background;
- allergic reactions to drugs used in the treatment of the underlying disease;
- prolonged, profuse runny nose, provoking the flow of mucus into the larynx;
- complications of previous ailments.
An ongoing nightly cough after recovery indicates the need to visit a specialist. Do not self-medicate, so as not to aggravate your health.
Cough without fever
Discomfort during sleep in the form of a dry cough can be domestic in nature. The disease is often found in smokers with great experience. This is a natural reaction of the body to tobacco smoke products. An allergy associated with the flowering of some plants, poplar fluff, aggressive odors can act as an irritant to the mucous membranes.
Coughing without an increase in body temperature is observed in asthmatics, people whose body is infected with infections, helminthic invasions. In rare cases, an unpleasant factor may indicate the presence of diseases of an endocrine nature, oncology, it becomes a consequence of frequent stressful situations.
Possible complications
In addition to general discomfort, a night cough without timely treatment can lead to acute and chronic complications. Exhausting seizures during sleep cause an insufficient rush of blood to the brain. As a result, there is increased fatigue, weakness, fainting. A person may be disturbed by frequent nausea, dizziness, and insomnia.
In more complex cases, frequent, severe coughing without appropriate treatment leads to the appearance of involuntary bowel movements, urination. The chronic form contributes to the appearance of a hernia of the abdominal cavity, discomfort in the larynx, pain when swallowing saliva. Possible sputum with blood, pus. On this basis, diseases such as laryngitis, pharyngitis, and inflammation of the vocal cords often occur.
Treatment methods
To know how to stop a coughing attack at night, you should determine the cause of its appearance, diagnose the disease. To combat the disease, pharmacology offers many means in the form of suspensions, syrups, drops, lollipops. The treatment prescribed by a specialist may include taking medications, physiotherapeutic procedures, and inhalations.
The treatment of diseases through the introduction of drugs in a vapor state in the respiratory system is particularly effective. Currently, several common inhalation methods are distinguished.
- Dry - carried out using special devices. This technique is prescribed for pathologies of the lower respiratory tract.
- Oil inhalation involves the use of essential oils to facilitate breathing and relieve swelling. The procedure is contraindicated in the presence of allergic manifestations.
- Steam - a classic treatment option, does not require the presence of special equipment. Inhalation can be done by inhaling the vapors of the drug diluted in hot water directly from the container, covered with a towel.
Therapy for night cough can be carried out at home, resorting to traditional medicine. Infusions, potions and decoctions from the common malaise are prepared on the basis of plant components. This technique avoids the use of chemical preparations. In addition, medicinal products of alternative medicine are distinguished by the availability of constituent ingredients, ease of preparation.
It is important to remember: treatment with alternative recipes can be carried out after consultation with specialists. In the presence of serious diseases leading to complications, it is better to use effective pharmacological drugs to timely stop the development of the disease.
Drug therapy
Many people wonder how to stop a coughing fit at night. Depending on the form and complexity of the disease, the specialist prescribes treatment, which includes taking mucolytic and antitussive drugs. Among the most common tools are the following:
- "Broncholitin" is a drug based on plant components that effectively relieves inflammation of the mucous membranes. It fights irritants, eliminates swelling and makes breathing easier. Pregnant, lactating women, people with the presence of cardiovascular diseases should be careful about taking the medicine.
- “Herbion” for dry cough, the instructions for use of which will tell you how to calculate the correct dosage. Plantain syrup has an antibacterial and emollient effect, helps to eliminate sputum. The composition of the drug includes plantain extract and additional components that enhance its effect.
- "Stoptussin" - an effective remedy for coughing at night, approved for use even by children from 1 year old. Mucolytic quickly relieves inflammation in the respiratory tract, removes sputum, relieves the urge to cough.
- "Sinecode" is a syrup whose active ingredient is butamirate. The drug quickly stops night attacks of cough syndrome, partially relieves inflammation and helps to expand the bronchi. In most cases, it is prescribed as a preventive measure for smokers with extensive experience, as well as in chronic forms of various ailments.
- "Mukaltin" - tablets that are prescribed for severe attacks of dry and wet cough without expectoration. The product dilutes sputum, helps to eliminate it, eliminates the irritants that cause coughing.
In addition to drugs whose action is aimed at reducing coughing attacks during sleep, experts prescribe antibiotics in the presence of infectious forms of the disease. In case of cough caused by allergic reactions, antihistamines are prescribed to the patient. To reduce inflammatory processes, hormone-based drugs are often used.
As a prophylactic and quickly relieving coughing seizure agent, pharmacological preparations are often used. “Herbion” for dry cough, the instructions for use of which will tell you how to calculate the correct dosage, is prescribed not only for adults, but also for children. The plant components that make up the drug syrup stop sudden attacks, eliminate the factors that cause coughing.
Folk remedies
Treatment of coughing attacks at night in an adult can be carried out using alternative medicine recipes. Medicinal herbs, flowers, natural ingredients that are part of many medicinal products help to effectively deal with a common ailment.
Not everyone knows what to do if you cough badly at night. To stop the attack, it is enough to take 1 teaspoon of the product prepared at home. Onions of medium size must be peeled, minced or minced in a blender bowl. Squeeze the resulting slurry through cheesecloth. Mix onion juice with a teaspoon of natural honey and infuse for 4-5 hours.
An adult night cough with sputum can be cured with a lozenge from the available ingredients. To prepare it you will need:
- rye flour - 250 g;
- water - 50 ml;
- natural honey - 30 ml;
- eucalyptus oil - 3-4 drops.
All components are mixed until a homogeneous mass, similar to a soft dough. Density can be adjusted by adding flour or water. A cake is formed from the mixture, which must be placed on the chest, secured with a tissue dressing and left overnight. The procedure is repeated 3-4 times a week, each time preparing a fresh compress.
At home, you can cook a paste that calms bouts of dry cough at night, softens the throat. The composition of the useful product includes raisins, honey, water, almonds crushed to a powder state, butter. Pour 50 ml of water into a small saucepan, add 100 grams of raisins and honey, bring to a boil and cook for 40-50 minutes with gentle heating. The finished mixture is cooled to room temperature, almond powder and softened butter are added, kneaded to a homogeneous consistency. Take the drug in the morning on an empty stomach and in the evening before going to bed with severe bouts of coughing at night.
An effective effect on nightly attacks of cough has a syrup, which is easy to prepare at home. You need to take 100 g of sugar, 50 ml of water and with slight heating bring the solution to a boil. After which it is necessary to cool the syrup to room temperature, add 5 drops of aloe oil and mix thoroughly. The tool is taken during a sore throat, with the urge to cough 1 teaspoon.
If a person at night is often disturbed by attacks of dry cough, it is necessary to drink warm drinks before bedtime. Drink milk with honey and butter in small sips, allowing the liquid to slowly drain along the mucous membranes of the larynx. You can make a decoction of chamomile and rosemary. To do this, take 2 tbsp. tablespoons of dried chopped herbs, pour water and boil for 20 minutes. The finished product is filtered and taken warm in 200 ml, 30 minutes before bedtime.
To remove the inflammatory process in the larynx, soothe the irritation that causes coughing attacks, a rinse solution will help. To cook it you will need 200 ml of water, 1 teaspoon of soda and salt. The components are combined and mixed until the salt is completely dissolved. The solution is gargled before bedtime and in the morning after hygiene procedures.
As additional therapeutic measures, traditional medicine offers all kinds of compresses, rubbing, inhalation using medicinal plants. However, you should not self-medicate, this can lead to poor health.
Preventative measures
The fight against the disease largely depends on the patient's care. It is necessary to carefully observe the prescription of a specialist, take medications in a timely manner. In order to subsequently eliminate the factors that cause the development of night cough, you should adhere to simple preventive rules.
A cough caused by a large accumulation of dust can be prevented by timely wet cleaning. Carpets, bedspreads, soft toys, often collecting large amounts of house dust, should be regularly cleaned and treated with disinfectant solutions. It is important to ensure the circulation of fresh air in the bedrooms. In winter, it is effective to ventilate the premises for 10-15 minutes in the morning and evening before bedtime.
If the air in the apartment is excessively dry, regular humidification is required. You can use special devices that increase humidity, or improvised means. Cleanliness in areas reserved for sleep will be the key to healthy breathing, reduce the burden on the lungs and bronchi.
The susceptibility of a person to various diseases largely depends on immunity. It is possible to increase it by organizing proper nutrition and tempering procedures. The full-fledged work of the body requires the constant intake of vitamins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates. Excessively fatty foods, sour, salty, smoked foods in large quantities should be avoided.
To strengthen the body, experts recommend regularly visiting the fresh air, leading an active lifestyle. You can do simple sports exercises in your free time or just walk at a comfortable pace daily.
Coughing episodes caused by long-term smoking history will help reduce the restriction of nicotine intake. It is better to completely get rid of addiction or switch to lighter cigarettes, with a low content of harmful substances. People suffering from nicotine addiction can take special prophylactic drugs, but you should definitely consult a specialist.
If the cough of an adult intensifies at night, this causes discomfort not only to the patient, but also to others. Fatigue from constant sleep disturbance, severe weakness, dizziness appears. To avoid complications and prevent the development of serious ailments, with primary symptoms, you must consult a doctor. Timely treatment will help to avoid pathologies, strengthen health and completely relieve the disease.