Coughing at night can make sufferers not sleep well. Though to be able to recover quickly, the body needs lots of rest. But, you dont have to worry. There are several ways you can do to relieve complaints of cough at night.
Coughing is the body's natural way to cleanse the throat and respiratory tract from germs, viruses, and pollution and dirt, such as dust, cigarette smoke, or mucus. Coughing is also often felt during colds, allergies, or asthma.
In some cases, coughing due to irritation or infection in the respiratory tract can be felt more severe or more disturbing at night. If it's like this, the sufferer will have difficulty sleeping and resting.
A cough that gets worse at night can be caused by several conditions and diseases, for example:
- Respiratory disorders, such as asthma, COPD, bronchitis, and ARI.
- Tuberculosis.
- Heart disorders, such as heart failure or heart valve disease.
- Gastric acid disease (GERD).
- Sleep apnea.
- Side effects of drugs, such as high blood pressure medications, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and NSAIDs.
- Frequent smoking.
Various Ways to Relieve Cough at Night
To treat complaints of coughing at night, you need to do a doctor's examination. After the cause of the cough is known, the doctor will provide appropriate treatment to treat the cause.
In addition to drugs, there are several ways you can do to relieve complaints of cough that interfere at night, namely:
1. Take a bath or bath with warm water before going to bed
Dry airways can make coughing at night worse. Bathing or soaking in warm water before bedtime can help moisturize the airways and relieve coughing.
But if the cough you experience is caused by asthma, don't use this method. Because the steam inhaled during a bath or warm bath can actually worsen the symptoms of asthma.
2. Drink water or warm drinks before going to bed
Drinking water before bedtime can help thin the mucus in the airways and relieve coughing at night. In addition to water, drinking warm tea or lemon water mixed with honey can also be an option to relieve cough.
But remember, honey can only be given to adults and children over the age of 1 year, yes!
3. Sleep with your head higher
Reclining position can cause you to cough more often. To outsmart, try to sleep with a higher pillow. Sleeping in this position will help drain mucus from the nose and throat.
In addition to relieving coughs due to colds or cold coughs, sleeping in that position can also prevent stomach acid from rising into the throat (GERD) which can trigger coughing.
4. Use an air humidifier (humidifier) in the bedroom
An air humidifier can help relieve a cough if the air in your bedroom tends to dry due to the use of air conditioners.
Be sure to adjust the humidity level to only 40-50%, because the air is too humid can trigger the development of mites and fungi that can actually aggravate the cough.
Another thing you need to remember is to avoid sleeping under the air from the fan or air conditioner directly, to prevent coughing from getting worse.
5. Make sure your bedding and bedding are clean
This is one of the tips to help relieve coughing at night due to allergies. Dust and mites are the most common allergens. So, make sure your bed and bedding are in a clean condition.
Change sheets, pillowcases, bolsters and blankets every week. Wash all the bedding by soaking it first with hot water. After washing, dry in the sun to dry.
6. Take cough medicine
In addition to the methods above, you can also take cough medicine to relieve cough at night. Take a cough medicine that suits your type of cough.
There are several types of cough medicine with different ingredients and functions, namely:
Expectorant
Antitussive
Decongestants
Antihistamines
If the cough is caused by a viral infection, for example in the flu and ARI, then antibiotics are not needed. Giving antibiotics is only effective for dealing with coughs caused by bacterial infections.
Coughing at night is indeed not infuriating. But be patient, because basically, cough is the body's way of getting rid of the cause of cough itself. With adequate rest and do a few tips above, coughing at night will usually subside within 1-2 weeks.
Even so, beware if the cough at night gets worse, lasts more than 3 weeks, or is accompanied by high fever, shortness of breath, weight loss, and sputum green, yellow, or even accompanied by blood.
These symptoms can indicate a serious disease, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart failure, or tuberculosis, which requires medical treatment. If you or a family member experiences such a cough, it is advisable to see a doctor immediately.
