One can have a nightmare due to a sleepless night caused by coughing, which often occurs during the night when everyone wants a silent sleep. A cough is a reflex action by the human body to fight against foreign particles or thick mucus formed for various reasons.
Why Do I Cough More at Night? Common Causes:
Here are some causes of coughing at night:
- Gravity: According to Mitchell Blass, an MD specialist, the main cause of coughing at night is gravity. When we lie down, our gastroesophageal reflex action causes the mucus to pool, leading to coughing.
- Viral-Cough: A cough induced by a viral infection can cause the mucus to thicken and drain back down the throat, causing inflammation of the throat and triggering the cough center.
- Asthma: Asthma is caused by the hyper-responsive action of the tracheobronchial smooth muscle to various external stimuli, which results in narrowing of the tubes. Exposure to cold during the night increases the risk of coughing due to asthma.
- Lung Diseases: Lung diseases such as bronchitis and tumors can cause airway distress and difficulty breathing, especially during the night.
[See More: Cough Syrups in India]
- Medicine induced Cough: Medications like angiotensin converting inhibitors can cause coughing due to the accumulation of kinin mediators in the respiratory tract, increasing cough reflexes.
- Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis does not show any major symptoms as the bacteria can thrive in the human body without affecting it. After many days of thriving, the bacteria can cause a dry cough that increases with the swelling of lymph nodes.
- Heart Problems: Conditions such as congestive cardiac failure can cause a persistent dry cough along with wheezing. When there is a lung infection along with heart failure, the phlegm may be tinged with blood.
- Smoking: Smoking causes the cilia in the lungs to become non-functional, leading to the accumulation of toxins. In order to remove these toxins, smokers often cough, especially during the night. This is also known as a smoker’s cough.
- Sinusitis: A persistent dry cough can be caused by the irritation of the throat and inflamed airway passage, and can be made worse by a dry air environment, which makes it difficult to breathe, as seen during sinus inflammation.
9 Effective Natural Treatments for Nighttime Coughing:
Say Goodbye to Nighttime Coughing with These Natural Remedies brought out which will help us during a disturbed sleep caused by cough.
1. Herbal Tea with Honey:
A decaffeinated hot drink without milk, with honey, can help break down mucus fibers and clear the airway passage, calming the throat and reducing coughing. This remedy is easily available at home at any time of the night.
2. Taking a Steam:
A dry cough is often caused by decreased moisture in the throat. To increase moisture and reduce irritation, taking steam and inhaling the vapor can be helpful. The steam can be taken with plain water or medicated water, with a nasal drop or medicated oil like eucalyptus oil.
3. Salt Water Gargling:
Salt has got the property of anti-bacterial effect which helps in breaking down the mucus and soothing the throat by moistening the throat lining. The sputum is made up of irritants, bacteria which leads to infection and swelling of the throat. The swelling is reduced by the effect of osmosis in which the salt concentration increases outside the cells during gargling makes the water from the cells to release which indeed reduces the swelling. Salt water gargling brings in good relief immediately. Excessive salt water gargling should be avoided, since it may cause dryness of mouth.
4. Vapour Rubs:
Vapour rub has the ingredients like eucalyptus and herbs which play an important role in suppressing the nasal congestion. It is an external topical application balm which is applied around the throat region which passes into the skin and helps to subside a cough. This kind of vapor can be made at home by using coconut oil, eucalyptus, rosemary and lavender oil or by using eucalyptus oil as a rub.
See More: Coughing Diseases List
5. Garlic:
It is a Pharyngeal Demulcents which helps in soothing the throat during a cough in the night. It comes as a chewable medicated candy with different flavors which dissolves in the mouth at a slower rate by releasing the medication which contains menthol, dextromethorphan and an anesthetic agent like benzocaine which helps to slightly numb the throat region against coughing. It helps to reduce a cough by moistening the throat and suppressing the nerve ending which triggers a cough in the night.
6. Turmeric:
Turmeric has many therapeutic values, one among them is the anti-bacterial effect. It helps to break the mucus formation and destroy the growth of bacteria. A good cup hot water with one tablespoon of turmeric along with black pepper make it boil and drink daily until cough subside. Another method could be grinding the turmeric root making it as a powder and consuming it along with water and honey will also soothe the throat from coughing.
See More: Dry Cough Symptoms
7. Onion:
Breathing in the strong vapor of onion will definitely help to stop from coughing. Using one teaspoon of onion juice along with honey daily two times will reduce the inflammation and prevent from coughing.
8. Probiotics:
Probiotics offer numerous benefits for the human body by providing strains of bacteria that help strengthen the immune system and fight against bacteria that cause coughing. Recent studies conducted by the British Journal of Nutrition found that the strain of bacteria Bifidobacterium bifidum can help combat colds and flu. Good sources of probiotics include yogurt and pickled vegetables.
See More: Cough Medicine
9. Mint Leaves:
- Mint leaves are most useful in curing cough for asthmatic patient.It has got the anti-bacterial and expectorant effect which helps to break down the phlegm. One drop of mint extract into lukewarm water consumption gives a soothing and relaxing effect for the throat.
Cold and cough is always a disease encountered in any humans life. The way to diagnosis and treat the underlying cause is the simple way of getting rid of the sleep depriving cough. The cause can be either external or internal factor. When cold persist more than a week then doctors consultation is highly recommended. Over the counter, the drug has to be strictly avoided due to its adverse side effects. Cough syrup which has less dosage can be used only when someone is sure of their medical history to avoid any an aphylactic reaction or the best way to treat a simple cold is by using home remedies which give a good relief. For kids, it is best to consult a doctor before administrating any medicines.