During the day, various contaminants, dust, irritants get into the respiratory tract of a person. To get rid of them, the bronchi begin to secrete sputum, which is excreted during sleep. Usually normal during a night a person clears his throat several times. This does not mean the presence of pathology. With this method, the bronchi and lungs are cleaned of accumulated daily pollution. But it happens that a night cough interferes with sleep. A person is tormented by bouts of severe coughing - this is a pathology.
Cough classification
There are several types of night cough. By type of manifestation, it can be:
- silent - this kind is accompanied by paralysis of the vocal cords;
- barking - occurs with swelling of the vocal cords, accompanied by hoarseness of the voice;
- deaf - can talk about emphysema, bronchitis;
- cough that occurs in the morning - most often occurs with pathology in the nasopharynx;
- wet with outgoing sputum - manifested with inflammation in the lungs;
- dry - occurs with irritation of the mucosa.
If a cough occurs every night and lasts at least two weeks, then this indicates the presence of inflammation. A cough that persists for more than two months indicates a chronic illness.
To understand how to stop a cough, you should identify its cause. For a different type of reflex, different causes are characteristic.
Dry cough and what causes it
There are many causes of nocturnal cough: they are divided into infectious and non-infectious. In the latter case, the reflex is caused by irritants, in the elimination of which the attacks pass. With an infectious cough, in order to calm it, it is necessary to influence the microorganisms that cause the ailment.
When large dust particles enter the airways at night, airway cleansing occurs. This phenomenon is observed when the windows are open at night, during the repair work. In order for the night cough to pass, irritants should be excluded.
Also, a dry cough can occur with sharp odors, for example, with the smell of smoke, when inhaling chemicals that serve as an irritant. Dry air negatively affects the state of the respiratory system: it can cause attacks of dry night cough.
If the cough is caused by the above reasons, then if they are excluded, it will pass. In other cases, a cough may indicate a serious pathology.
Pathologies with dry cough
A night cough in an adult without sputum can talk about the following ailments:
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Reflex disease. With it, the contents of the stomach penetrate the esophagus, irritating the receptors that cause night coughing in an adult.
- Tumors of the lungs.
- Whooping cough.
- Pathologies of the vocal cords.
- Collagenosis, tuberculosis.
- Bronchitis.
- Asthma.
Moist cough
During sleep, severe nightly coughing sputum may occur. This may indicate the following diseases:
- Asthma, bronchitis, tracheitis. With these diseases, sputum is viscous.
- Sputum with an unpleasant odor may indicate lung abscess.
- Purulent yellow sputum occurs with pneumonia.
- Orange sputum may indicate pleurisy.
- Impurities of blood indicate oncology, tuberculosis.
- Cough with sputum of a different nature occurs with sinusitis, whooping cough.
Only a doctor can determine exactly what caused the cough.
Coughing Emergency
To cope with any type of cough, you need a heavy drink. If you feel that the attack begins, you should drink a glass of water in small sips, milk with honey, warm tea, in which it is best to add honey.
You should not be in a prone position, as this will increase the attack. You should sit down during an attack, but you do not need to sleep in this position. The bed should be placed so that the chest is raised.
To prevent a coughing attack during sleep, you should do steam inhalation before bedtime. To do this, you can breathe above the steam of hot water. With a coughing attack in children, they can be taken to the bathroom and, turning on hot water, breathing in pairs: the attack will pass, the child will calm down.
A positive effect is shown by inhalation with mineral water, oils, chamomile. You can breathe over potatoes. All this will help to cope.
Lollipops are used to eliminate the cough. They have a distracting effect, provoke profuse salivation, softening the larynx.
A good effect is given by humidification. Adults may experience coughing at night due to dry air. Lack of moisture negatively affects the condition of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. To cope with this, you can use an air humidifier, hang wet towels on the batteries, put containers in the corners of the rooms. Evaporation of water will help maintain optimal humidity by preventing coughing.
If the cough is caused by an allergic reaction, then the allergen should be removed. This can be a pet, plant, bedding, household chemicals, perfume and more.
Medication for coughing attacks
In moments of attack, the only thing that worries every person is how to stop the cough. To combat dry and wet species, the doctor may prescribe different types of drugs, including:
- "Herbion". Combines antibacterial, antitussive and expectorant action. Due to these properties, the drug can be used for various diseases.
- "Sinecode." An antitussive drug that reduces the severity of cough, but is not able to treat diseases. The tool is used as a symptomatic treatment for cough.
- Stoptusin. This is a mucolytic drug that can be prescribed even for children from a year. The drug gently affects the body, reducing inflammation of the bronchi and releasing the airways.
- "Codelac Fito." A drug developed on the basis of codeine, which has an antitussive effect.
- "Broncholitin."
- Linkas. Mucolytic of plant origin, helping to thin the sputum, eliminate inflammation.
- Libexin. Antitussive drug.
With irritation of the larynx caused by inflammatory processes or psychogenic factors, antitussive drugs that do not contain codeine are used. They positively affect the respiratory center, eliminating the symptom. These funds include Omnitus, Stoptussin, Libexin. You can’t take an antitussive without a doctor’s recommendation, as this can lead to respiratory arrest.
If the cough is caused by bronchitis, pneumonia, or inflammation of the trachea, then the doctor prescribes thinners. These include “ACC”, “Bromhexine”, “Ambroxol” and other drugs. They do not eliminate the symptom, but make the cough productive. When taking these medications, sputum removal improves, coughing attacks are relieved.
In some cases, bronchodilator drugs, such as Berodual, Erespal, Pulmicort, etc. are used to eliminate night cough. These medications relieve spasm and expand the lumen of the bronchi. They speed recovery.
Inhalation drugs are used in first aid, but only as directed by a doctor. Sometimes the doctor prescribes the Pulcicort glucocortisoid.
They use herbal preparations with caution: Doctor Mom, Vicks, Asset, Pertussin, Herbion, Linkas. These drugs have an antitussive, expectorant, anti-inflammatory effect.
According to the indications for the treatment of night cough, the doctor selects other drugs: antibiotics, antifungal drugs, immunomodulators, antiviral agents.
Folk remedies
To calm a strong night cough, you can apply folk methods. The most common remedy is milk with honey and butter. After drinking a glass of the mixture, do not get out of bed.
Good results are shown by a hot cake made from honey, flour and water. It is fixed all night.
An hour before bedtime, you can drink a glass of red wine. It relaxes, has an antiseptic effect, helps to fall asleep.
To reduce the irritating effect, you can treat the throat with alkaline or saline solution before bedtime.
A syrup made from glycerin, honey, and lemon juice is good for coughing. All ingredients are mixed. The composition is taken every four hours.
Other methods
Helps to cope with a cough decoction of chamomile and coltsfoot. These herbs relieve swelling of the respiratory tract, thin the sputum.
Since ancient times used for the treatment of aloe. A leaf of the plant is placed for several hours in the refrigerator, then juice is squeezed out of it. A few drops of juice are mixed with sugar. The composition is taken before bedtime.
To calm a painful cough, you can chew a couple of minutes a leaf of a golden mustache.
The infusion of pine cones has a positive effect.
Prevention methods
It’s much easier not to cure the disease, but to do prevention. This helps to avoid pathologies in the future.
So that the disease does not recur, you should begin to harden. The sport has a positive effect. Exercises can be performed at home, or you can sign up at the gym. To stay healthy, it’s important to review your diet. Do not abuse bad habits, only natural, healthy dishes are introduced into your diet.
If a cough occurs, especially at night, you should consult a doctor in the morning. Only a doctor can determine the cause of the pathology, and also prescribe the correct treatment.