Cough can be annoying, especially at night. Have you ever had a sleepless night because of cough? It's not a pleasant experience. That's why most people stock up on medicine for cough and cold, during the cold season.
In addition, knowing what caused your cough can help with your recovery too. Sometimes cough can be a symptom you are experiencing because of a different disease. It would be best if you can identify your cough type to help you understand better how to deal with your situation. To help you out, we’ve listed down the different cough types based on causes.
Asthma
If your cough is followed by a rattle or wheeze, this might be a sign of asthma. When you have asthma, your airways become inflamed, causing you to wheeze, cough, and breathe difficultly. Usually coughing due to asthma worsens when working out or at night. It might also be accompanied by a tightening in your chest, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
If you're suffering from this, you have to boost your gut health and vitamin D levels. You should also consult your doctor so he or she can prescribe you with the right medicine. Your doctor might prescribe quick-relief medication or drugs you have to take daily.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD can be caused by smoking. If you have this, you might experience chronic cough (cough lasting at least 8 weeks for adults and 4 weeks for children) and hack a lot of mucus.
This condition is usually at its worst in the morning. If you have COPD, you might also experience tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, wheezing, and fatigue. It's important to try and quit smoking once diagnosed with COPD. You also have to consult your doctor to know the right medication for your situation.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
You may be experiencing a dry, spasmodic cough which may worsen when you eat or lie down. It might even start the moment you lie down at night. This can be caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
When you eat, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) closes to prevent food and acid from coming up your esophagus. With GERD, your LES relaxes inappropriately, acid and food come up your esophagus, thus causing your cough.
Medication-Related Cough
Sometimes high blood is treated with medication known as ACE Inhibitors which can cause dry cough in about 20% of patients. You might not have it until after a few weeks of starting with ACE Inhibitors.
Don't stop taking your medication if you developed dry cough because of it. Consult your doctor first. You might be prescribed to switch to a different kind of ACE Inhibitor or change your medication entirely.
Postnasal Drip
When you have cold or allergies, mucus can drip down your throat. This causes you to have wet or dry cough. The postnasal drip might worsen at night and lead to a scratchy feeling at the back of your throat.
If your postnasal drip is caused by allergies, you can take antihistamine. Saline washes can also help relieve the congestion. If your dry or wet cough lingers for more than a week, consult your doctor.
Pneumonia
A dry cough that turns into wet cough, with yellow, green, or red mucus is a symptom of pneumonia. This might be accompanied with fever, chills, and difficulty in breathing.
Pneumonia may sometimes require you to receive fluids, breathing treatments, and oxygen therapy. Some people recover from this by resting at home and drinking lots of fluids; however, you still need to consult your doctor to confirm if you have pneumonia. In some cases, you might need to be hospitalized.
Whooping Cough
It can take a week to ten days for the symptoms, such as runny nose and fever, to appear. The severe cough ending with a "whoop" as you breathe in will appear a week or two later; this whooping cough. Sometimes, when the hacking is so intense, it might cause you to throw up or turn red or blue.
This can be treated with antibiotics. However, if your child has whooping cough, you have to consult a doctor immediately.
Cough can be caused by a number of things; the cough itself might be a symptom itself. Identifying your cough is important to you know what type of illness you are dealing with and how to treat it as fast as possible.