Night Time Coughs
Many people, at some time in their life, will have a persistent cough that will keep them awake at night. It just does not stop and makes it impossible to stay asleep. This can be frustrating especially when you are at work and in a meeting with clients. There can many causes to this cough and some that are hardly thought about. How many of you have considered that the post nasal drip that you have is causing your cough? If you find that your cough is worse at night after you lie down after a day of nasal congestion, then nasal drainage could be your cause. You might also find yourself clearing your throat during the day because of mucous in your throat. Often a saline solution can help with this and so can cutting back on your smoking, if you smoke.
Almost a quarter of the population suffers from GERD or gastroesophageal reflux. If you are feeling this, then you should know that the flap that separates your throat from your stomach is weak and so it allows acid to rise. This is another condition that can cause a night cough. GERD is known to be the cause of about ten percent of persistent coughs and heartburn can be part of this or it might not be.
Asthma can be another contributor to the persistent night time cough. Many people think of asthma as only a condition that has shortness of breath and wheezing, but it can also be just a persistent cough and can be a dry cough. For some, their asthma will get worse when they go out into cold air or when they exercise. If you have noticed any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor to get a true diagnosis. It is possible for your doctor to offer you an asthma inhaler for you to try to see if it helps your symptoms. A chronic cough can be caused by some medications for high blood pressure. This particular class of medications is called ACE inhibitors so if you can connect the dots then you might have found your cause for your cough. If you are coughing at night, you can be quite irritating as you can disrupts the sleep of the entire family. When anyone does not get enough sleep, it is hard for them to get through a day of work. Putting a stop to the cough is very important.
