It can be managed during the day but obviously not at night🌃. Cough gets worse at night and can be very disturbing to the point of making you lose sleep. Probably you have caught some flu and have been wondering why cough gets worse at night🌃, here is a detailed answer to that mind bugging problem.
Some ancient medical treaties already spoke of this phenomenon with physiological explanation.
According to Dr. Eusebi Chiner, a pulmonologist and director of SEPAR, it can be noted that even some ancient Arabic medical researches has proven that cough gets worse at night, particularly for the asthmatics, causing them more fatigue.
The Basic Reason Why Cough gets Worse at 🌃: a Psychological Approach.
This explanation has to do with a physiological process. First it is important to note that our nervous system controls the defensive mechanism, specifically, it is the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, which control involuntary functions and sometimes have opposing effects on the same organ in order to maintain balance.
“At the beginning or in the middle of the night, this balance is broken and one of the two systems takes over and is responsible for triggering the cough mechanisms” – explains Dr Chimer.
At night, there are also certain physical conditions that can favour the onset of coughing, such as being in a room with a very dry environment or simply lying down: being in a horizontal position, the upper airway (the pharynx, throat, etc.) closes more and our chime may stimulate coughing.
Nonetheless, even if we sleep sitting up, certain stimuli are triggered that make us cough more at night and the same would happen if we put a humidifier in the bedroom.
Other Reasons why Cough gets worse at night and how coughing spells can be managed
Coughing is a very complex phenomenon involving everything from the diaphragm to the central pathways in our brain, which is why it is so difficult to control.
Acidic reflux is another factor that makes cough gets worse at night. Remember, acid, like mucus, germs, and dust, is an irritant to the throat.
Because lying down forces acid to come back up the esophagus, activating the coughing reflex, people with this condition may have terrible night time coughs.
Also, when we have a cold, we have nasal congestion and can have what is called postnasal drip, a drip that falls down the back of the nose and irritates our throat and makes us cough.
Cases of influenza can be very irritating, ensuring that cough gets worse at night. Though it usually subsides within a week or 10 days but if not duely tackled, can linger around for up to a month.
When it lasts longer, after some symptomatic remedies that the doctor may prescribe, do well to investigate the cause.
Managing Night-time Coughs: Whether your cough is caused by postnasal drip or acid reflux, lying down can aggravate it. One way to handle this is by sleep with your head on pilled-up pillows to avoid mucus from gathering in your throat.
If you experience acid reflux, you can use the pillows in addition to avoiding late-night eating. It is beneficial to eat before going to bed.
Qst: Are there benefits derived from coughing?
Ans: Yes. The nose has cells that produce mucus, which acts as a filter trapping bacteria or viruses so that they don’t reach our lungs.
Coughing is nothing more than another defence mechanism of the organism to eliminate these secretions and, incidentally, expel everything that could cause us harm.
When we have a cold, coughs and mucus begin to do their job.
Coughing helps get rid of mucus and other irritants in your throat and airways, moving around makes it easier to dislodge any stored mucus. Mucus starts to collect at the back of your throat when you’re lying down, a condition known as postnasal drip.
Depending on the degree of the illness, the symptoms manifest themselves to a greater or lesser extent but, in all cases, there is a phenomenon that is repeated frequently: when it is time to go to sleep, the cough appears.
In some cases, even more strongly than during the day.
Simple Remedies for Cough and Catarrh Treatment.
Onion, milk🥛, honey🍯, lemon🍋! Are these home remedies really effective?
There are all kinds of folk remedies to relieve coughs, but the effectiveness of most of them has not been scientifically proven. In any case. Dr Chiner reminds us that placebos in medicines can have 30% relief effect to cough.
Onions for cough and catarrh treatment
Many people claim chopped onions really calms their coughs and serves as a good option for catarrh treatment. Although the side effect of chopped onions may have not been scientifically studied, it could come of handy for relieving coughing based on people’s claims.
Honey🍯 and Lemon🍋 combination for Cough and Catarrh treatment
In Dr Chiner’s research on the efficacy of honey🍯 and lemon🍋, he clarifies that the vitamin C in the citrus fruit is important as a preventive measure, but not immediately to calm coughs. So it is the combination of the two (🍯 & 🍋) that soothes the throat and reduces the feeling of irritation at the time.
Milk🥛 and Honey🍯 combination for Cough and Catarrh treatment
Just like honey🍯 and lemon🍋 , milk🥛 with honey🍯 is also very effective for the treatment of cough and catarrh.
Some people claim that milk produces mucus, but this hoax has no medical basis whatsoever.
Things you need to know about Coughs.
There is no magic recipe to stop a coughing spell, but here are some simple health tips you need to know about coughs: Always be on the preventive side, no one is ever completely free from contracting a cough although the creator of Pfizer’s vaccine claims that those vaccinated are almost completely no longer contagious.
Quick handling of the case is most advisable because when the coughing lasts more than two months, it becomes chronic cough and this is one of the most common problems in the pulmonology consultation room, and sometimes it is difficult to deal with.
Consult a doctor if your Cough persists after 10 days. If it worsens or gets accompanied by other symptoms like fever or persistent congestion, you should see an urgent care center.
Waiting until symptoms worsen in children is not a good idea. Make an appointment with a doctor at once, and watch for indicators of an emergency, such as bluish skin.
To get rid of the flu, you can try some of the simple home remedies we mentioned above and if the cough doesn’t stop, then it’s time to see a doctor.
