How to Get Rid Of Dry Cough? 3 Easy Ways to Treat

A dry cough is not usually an indication of something serious, but it can be dangerous. However, dry cough treatment is no longer a major issue. There are several medications and home treatments available to treat dry cough. A dry cough is annoying and generally accompanied by a tickling in the throat. Dry coughs can be caused by a contagious infection, cold, or flu, but they can also be caused by allergies or throat irritants. In this section, we will also cover how to cure dry cough in order to combat these issues.

What Is Dry Cough?

A cough is a protective reflex that occurs suddenly and frequently that aids in cleansing the major breathing passages of fluids, irritants, foreign particles, and microbes.

There are two types of cough: productive and non-productive cough. A productive cough produces phlegm and mucus and a non-productive cough doesn’t produce mucus or phlegm. A dry cough is a non-productive cough.

Causes of Dry Cough

In this section, we categorized the causes of dry cough into two categories: the most common cause of dry cough and the less common cause of dry cough.

Most Common Causes:

Respiratory tract infection (RTI):

A dry cough can be caused by respiratory tract infections such as the common cold, acute bronchitis (chest cold), pneumonia, pertussis (also known as 100-day cough), or TB.

Post-infectious cough:

After the RTI has been resolved, the individual may be left with this. This is a dry, ineffective cough with no phlegm production. This cough might last for up to a week following an illness.

Asthma:

Asthma is a common cause of chronic cough in adults and children. This may not be the only reason but this is the most common one.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD):

Acid reflux is another term for this condition. In patients who have an inexplicable cough, GERD should be examined. This happens when the acidic contents of the stomach reflux into the esophagus.

Less Common Causes of Dry Cough:

Environmental pollutants:

Coughing can be caused by air pollution, cigarette smoking particulate matter, irritating gases, and humidity in the home. People who exercise outside on hot, smoggy days, for example, expose themselves to more contaminants in the air.

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Foreign body:

If the cough began unexpectedly while the patient was eating, a foreign body should be investigated.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor):

These are the medications used to treat diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Coughing is a side effect that affects 5-35 percent of those who take it.

Whooping cough:

Pertussis is a potentially fatal disease that produces a severe dry cough. When you breathe, you make a high-pitched whoop sound.

Psychogenic cough:

In the absence of a medical condition, it is sometimes referred to as “habit cough” or “tic cough.” Children are regarded to be more prone to psychogenic cough than adults.

Others:

Other conditions that can cause lung tissue damage include bronchiectasis (permanent enlargement of sections of the lungs’ airways), cystic fibrosis (a hereditary ailment that mostly affects the lungs), interstitial lung disease, and sarcoidosis (disease involving the abnormal collection of inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomas)

How To Diagnose Dry Cough?

Your doctor may inquire about the symptoms you are experiencing, as well as your age, weight, and other information, and may do some tests.

• A chest X-ray
• Spirometry( the most common of the pulmonary functions tests, PFTs )
• lung function tests
• Allergy tests
• After the diagnosis, we can easily detect the cause and can proceed with the process of the treatment of dry cough

What Are the Treatments of Dry Cough?

The underlying reason for dry cough is used to determine how to treat it. It fades gone without therapy in half of the children’s cases in 10 days, 90 percent in 25 days, and if it is a viral infection, it will go away in adults within a week. However, in adults, it may get more problematic, but there are certain dry cough remedies that can help ease.

Medication

• Cough suppressants: known as antitussives, used for short-term treatment of dry cough.
• Lozenges: may contain an antibacterial to help soothe a sore throat
• Liquid or linctus: cough mixture
• Antihistamine: Have a seductive effect that may help if your dry cough is disrupting your sleep.
• Syrups: There are a lot of syrups that will help you, and they are available in your local stores, just go and grab one but don’t forget to consult your doctor on a phone call.

Home Remedies:

Honey: it coats and soothes the back of the throat(pharynx). it relieves the irritation that triggers a dry cough.

How to use: 1- 2 teaspoon of honey + warm water + lemon, 30-45 minutes before bedtime. (Note: children above the age of 12 months)

Warm liquid: warm broths or tea may help soothe your throat

Gargling salt water: gargling with salt with little hot water will give you relief from the irritation.

Avoid these things:

• Avoid tobacco smoke
• Don’t be lazy to drink lots of water
• Don’t forget to use a humidifier to moisten the air
• Use allergy-proofing the bedroom to reduce irritants

Complications

Dry cough can be acute or chronic, and it can be fairly difficult. This comprises plenty of complexities, like as

• Prolapsed uterus in women
• headache
• Fainting
• Insomnia
• Induced vomiting
• Subconjunctival hemorrhage or red eye

When To See Doctor?

You should seek medical advice if:

• You start to cough up blood
• Have high blood pressure
• You have respiratory diseases such as asthma
• Copious amount of mucus or phlegm
• The cough has lasted longer than 10 days
• The cough is in an infant aged 6 months or younger
• You are short of breath or wheezy
• You have a fever
• Have a hoarse voice