How To Stop From Coughing
What Causes Coughing
Coughs is a natural reflex of human to clear their air passage when there are irritating particles, dust, mucus in our respiratory track. There are many possible reasons why we cough. A change in season, change in weather and temperature, increased in air pollution, pollens and new viruses can trigger a cough. A hectic lifestyle or lack of sleep can also cause stress and imbalance within our body which can lead to a cough.
How Long Can A Cough Last
It is very common for young children or even adults to suffer from coughing. However, coughing can be quite irritating and disturbing to our daily lifestyle. Coughs can last for two weeks to as long as three months. For example, if we are suffering from acute cough, it can last for three weeks; sub-acute cough can prolong to eight weeks and chronic coughs can last up to three months. Although coughing is not a disease, if we suffer from coughing for a prolonged period of time, it is important to seek medical attention as persistent coughing may be a sign of secondary infection.
Different Types Of Coughs
There are many types of coughs:
- Productive Cough which is also known as a chesty cough basically means you are coughing out phlegm and your lungs feel irritated.
- Non-productive Cough is an irritating cough that does not have phlegm. This is also known as dry cough.
- Barking Cough is like what the word means. It produces a loud barking and dry sound. It is commonly related to a viral infection of the respiratory tract and you will tend to experience more coughing at night.
- Whooping Cough is also known as Pertussis. Whooping cough is a bacterial infection of the respiratory tract and is highly contagious. It produces a whooping sound when you cough. Whooping cough can last up to six weeks.
Remedies To Relief Or Stop Us From Coughing
Fortunately, there are many remedies to relief or stop us from coughing. Flu and cold viruses can cause cough which may require medication. However, most of the time, coughs are triggered from environment such as change in weather, air pollution, lack of sleep, stress or even the food we eat. Hence, there are many natural ways to relief or stop us from coughing.
Keeping our throat moist is one of the ways to stop us from coughing. Hence, it is good to take sips of warm water instead or cold water throughout the day. Use an air humidifier and keep the air in the room moist and clean is also a good way to relief us from coughing especially during the night.
Many people experience more coughing during the night. Changing our sleeping position can help us to relief or stop us from coughing during the night. For example, it is recommended to sleep on your side with a slightly elevated pillow to have a better air flow through your respiratory track.
Having a cup of warm water by the bed side and taking some sips of warm water when your throat is dry can help to relief the irritation and stop us from coughing.
A well rested body can help us to recover from our cough faster. To get a good night sleep, our mind and body need to be relaxed. By practicing stretching, breathing exercise and meditation before we go to bed will help our mind and body to relax, breathing will be calmer, relief us from coughing and have a good night sleep.