Coughing happens to everyone. It can be anything from mildly annoying all the way up to harmful and even deadly. For most people, a slight cough or even a coughing fit is a regular occurrence. Any number of factors can cause coughing, but in general, it is caused by irritants. Specifically, you may be coughing because of irritants in your respiratory system. When the nerves in your throat and lungs get irritated, they send a signal to your brain to tickle your throat. The result is that familiar tingling sensation, followed by coughing. You can usually ignore a cough caused by simple irritation, but the feeling only gets worse. Similar to an itch that you can’t scratch.
When you get an infection, there are two primary causes of irritation. The first is mucus. Your body produces mucus to keep irritants out of your respiratory system and to try to flush out the infection. The second cause is the infection itself. Bacterial and viral infections can cause severe irritation to the respiratory system. Thankfully, there are several tricks that you can try to reduce or eliminate coughing. Most of these tricks are meant to help keep you from coughing in the middle of the night or when you are trying to go to sleep, but there are also a few that you can try during the day. While none of these tips are going to help you if you come down with whooping cough, here are a few ways that you can reduce that cough.
Humidify the Air
This first tip is relatively basic and easy to do. You can buy humidifiers in almost any supermarket or online relatively cheaply. By using the humidifier, you prevent your throat from drying out during the night. This is particularly common for people who snore or otherwise sleep with their mouth open. When your throat becomes dry, it irritates. While there is no infection or foreign matter in your respiratory system, your body’s reaction is the same. Humidifying the air can’t prevent all coughing, and it can’t stop your throat from getting a little dry, but it can help. Reducing the dryness keeps your throat from registering the same nervous response and prevents coughing.
In addition to using a humidifier, you can also add aromatics to the water. Make sure your humidifier allows for this first. You don’t want to ruin your humidifier by adding herbs to it and clogging up the fins. Most do allow for this functionality, however. One common additive is mint. You can use oil or the fresh herb, but the oil provides more relief. The mint oil helps to release mucus and open up your airways. It also has a soothing effect on the respiratory system. Combining the cooling effects of mint with the added humidity is a great way to reduce that nighttime cough and irritation.
Make Honey Tea
Honey has natural antibiotic properties, but it can also help loosen mucus and reduce your cough. You can make this as simple as warm water and two teaspoons of honey. A more soothing option may be to make an herbal tea or caffeine-free tea to sweeten with honey. Honey is a time-honored way of reducing a cough. Tests have shown that honey can be as effective at lowering your cough as some over-the-counter cough medicines. This is one of those rare examples of a natural solution that can replace and even outperform artificial solutions.
While it is extremely rare, honey can cause food poisoning. Specifically, it can cause botulism in children under one-year-old. The risk of infection is very low, but the disease can be fatal. The safest option is to refrain from giving your child honey until they are at least two years old. At this point, their immune system should be strong enough to fight off the infection. Infants have fragile immune systems and cannot fight off even weak infections without the risk of serious complications.
The more exposure children have to potential allergens during their formative years, the more likely they are to develop a tolerance for them. By not exposing children to dirt, pollen, and other allergens, their immune system cannot adjust to exposure and later can cause a full anaphylaxis response. Honey, in particular, has been shown to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis later in life.
Get an Air Filter
If allergens or other airborne irritants cause your coughing, an air filter could be the best option for you. Air filters remove dust, pollen, and even viruses from their air. A higher-quality filter is going to produce better results. Manufacturers rate filters in microns, the lower the micron rating of the filter, the better the filter is at removing particulates.
There is also the option of using an ionizing air filter. These filters use electricity to ionize dust and other particles. The ionized particles can then be attracted to and trapped by the filter. These filters are straightforward to clean. They usually only require being wiped down with a damp cloth. Since the filter ionizes the particles, rather than trapping them, ionic filters typically do not need replacement filters, making them a more cost-effective option in the long run.
One of the cheapest options is to upgrade your home HVAC system filter. All central air conditioning systems have a primary filter. In most cases, this filter is a basic cotton or paper filter and is in the air intake for your home system. The only requirement here is that the new filter is the same size as the old one. It is important to replace this filter regularly.
If you do not replace your home filter regularly, it can cause restricted airflow. This may not seem like an issue, but it can cost you money in more ways than one. First, the restricted airflow reduces the efficiency of the system as a whole. This means your air conditioner runs longer and harder, drawing more power. Second, the extra work can overwork your fan motor and burn it up. This can lead to costly repairs.
Quit Smoking
This one may seem obvious, but it is worth mentioning. Smoking causes lung cancer as well as increasing your risk of respiratory infections. Combine that with the irritating effect of smoke, and it is no wonder that smoking causes you to cough. While quitting smoking is not easy, it is one of the best ways to reduce coughing if you are a smoker. The tar from cigarettes can coat the inside of your lungs and throat. This coating can act like mucus and cause your body to attempt to expel it via coughing.
The smoke itself is also an irritant that can cause coughing. This is not exclusive to cigarette smoke. Remember the last time you went camping, and the wind shifted, blowing smoke in your face? Or when you left the pizza in the oven too long, and smoke poured out when you opened the oven?
In addition to reducing coughing, quitting smoking can reduce your risk of lung cancer. After only a few weeks, your risk lowers significantly. Quitting smoking can also reduce your blood pressure. The nicotine in cigarettes causes your blood pressure to rise because it is a vasoconstrictor. That means it makes your blood vessel constrict and get tighter. This raises your blood pressure and can increase your risk of a heart attack.
Treat Your Asthma
Asthma is an uncomfortable and often frightening disease. While suffers are likely to become somewhat jaded to the effects after receiving treatment, the first time you have an asthma attack can be terrifying. The effects of asthma are not limited to asthma attacks. In addition to the obvious asthma attacks, asthma also makes you more prone to respiratory irritation and infection. An emergency inhaler is a must for anyone who has asthma, but there are also other preventative options to consider.
By preventing asthma attacks and dilating the airways in your lungs, you can reduce the risk of infection and irritation. By reducing irritation, you can, in turn, reduce coughing. Some of the easiest and most effective options are inhalers. These inhalers are different from emergency inhalers, and you are supposed to use them every day.
Running can also be an effective preventative measure. While this may not be an option for people with severe asthma, it can help others. For those who can run short distances without having an attack, building up your lung capacity and endurance can greatly diminish the effects of asthma. In some cases, it can even remove the need for a rescue inhaler completely. Long term treatment of your asthma is a topic best discussed with your doctor. Your doctor may want to perform stress tests before signing off on running or other cardio exercises. They may also recommend a lower impact exercise, such as an elliptical or exercise bike. These offer some of the benefits of running at a greatly reduced risk of injury.
Stay Hydrated
When your body produces mucous, it relies on the water available to it. If you are dehydrated, your body is still going to produce mucus, but it is going to be much thicker. This thicker mucous is more difficult for your body to remove. You know the feeling, that one bit that you just can’t get rid of. By staying hydrated, your body can thin out the mucus and make it easier for you to cough it up and remove it from your respiratory system. Being dehydrated also comes with other potential complications. Prolonged dehydration can even lead to kidney stones or kidney failure.
Kidney failure due to dehydration is rare, and typically only occurs in cases of extreme and prolonged dehydration. Kidney stones can begin to form simply from a short period of severe dehydration. Once a kidney stone forms, it may remain in the kidney for months before you even notice. Some people even have them for years with only minor or no signs.
Common symptoms of a kidney stone are severe pain in the lower sides of your back. Usually, the pain is sudden and intense but passes suddenly as well. When passing a kidney stone, the pain is extreme, and in severe cases, can require surgery to remove. This is the exception, however, as you can usually pass one naturally. Prolonged pain can indicate a blockage. If the pain does not subside after a few hours, see a doctor. A blockage in the kidney can lead to severe infections and even septic. Usually, in these circumstances, the kidney stone can either be broken apart using ultrasonic methods, or it can be manually extracted, depending on the severity.
Take a Hot Shower
This is one of the most effective methods of treating a cough that is the result of allergies or an infection. The steam from a hot shower can help loosen mucus in your respiratory system. The concept is similar to using a humidifier, but focuses on immediate relief, rather than long term prevention. You do not actually need to take a shower for this to work. An alternative is to take a hot bowl of water and place it in your lap. After that, lean your head over the bowl and place a towel over your head. The towel should completely cover your head and reach past the sides of the bowl. This method is not as effective since the hot water is not going to produce as much steam, but the added warm humidity has the same effect.
Another option is to simply fill your bathroom with steam and sit in the steam for several minutes or even hours, depending on your preference. While you can fill your bathroom with steam, it is better to stay in the shower and use a vent fan to remove the steam from the bathroom. This is because the moisture can absorb into the walls and facilitate the growth of mold. Mold can result in both drywall and insulation. Even fiberglass insulation can host mold if it is exposed to too much moister. Mold can, in turn, cause additional irritation and increase your risk of infection.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Like honey, apple cider vinegar can be used to loosen mucus in your throat. Simply mix one or two teaspoons of vinegar into a glass of warm water. Do not try to use other types of vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is unique. It has more health benefits than other types. Apple cider vinegar is antimicrobial as well as providing a soothing effect to your throat. You can use apple cider vinegar for more than just respiratory relief, however. It can also be used to treat certain fungal infections and even remove warts or kill lice.
The acid in vinegar can help kill lice by putting it in your hair. Do not use pure vinegar as this can cause minor chemical burns. It is best to dilute the vinegar with warm water, then keep our hair wet with the solution. This process kills both living lice as well as the eggs. Another use is to remove warts. Warts are ugly and uncomfortable. Most people are going to have at least one wart in their life. While a doctor can freeze off the wart, this doesn’t always work. You can also buy kits to freeze them off yourself, but if you do not kill the root, the wart can come back. Apple cider vinegar kills the entire wart. The best way to use it is to soak a cotton ball in vinegar before bed and tape it over the wart. Repeat this process every night until the wart is gone.
Use an Extra Pillow
This is one of the easiest and least intrusive options for reducing your cough. Use an extra pillow at night to elevate your head. This offers several benefits, including opening up your airways to make breathing easier. In addition to making it easier to breathe, using an extra pillow can also reduce the effects of acid reflux or heartburn. The way to benefit the most from the method is also to change your sleeping position. Most people do not realize, but when you sleep on your right side, you make it easier for acid to escape your stomach.
This is because the opening of the stomach is on the right side of the body. When you sleep on your right side, the acid in your stomach flows to that side. Your body has ways of keeping the acid in your stomach, but it is easy for small amounts to get past. This can cause irritation, coughing, and general discomfort. By sleeping on your left side, the acid pools on the other side and cannot escape. This method can also help people who simply suffer from acid reflux in the night. Another benefit of using an extra pillow is that it reduces the chances of irritants getting into your mouth or nose. When you are lying flat on your back, it is easy for dust and allergens to drift by and get inhaled.
Eat Some Chocolate
This one may come as a pleasant surprise for some people. Chocolate reduces irritation of the vagus nerve. Specifically, this effect is thanks to a chemical in chocolate called theobromine. The vagus nerve is the nerve responsible for the tickling feeling you get that makes you want to cough. While this method is unlikely to be as effective as some of the others, it took the number one spot thanks to the mass appeal of chocolate. It is worth mentioning that chocolate can help reduce coughing and increase your comfort when you have a cold or other respiratory infection.
Chocolate also has other health benefits, when used in moderation. Chocolate does contain a lot of sugar and should be eaten in moderation to avoid overconsumption. Chocolate is also very rich in antioxidants and has high nutritional content. Chocolate can also act as a vasodilator. This is the opposite of a vasoconstrictor and can reduce blood pressure. Where a vasoconstrictor tightens the blood vessels, a vasodilator enlarges them. By doing so, it relieves tension on the blood vessels. Reducing blood pressure has the added benefit of reducing your risk of a heart attack.
It is worth mentioning that the health benefits mentioned are from dark chocolate. Milk chocolate can offer some of the benefits, but the manufacturing process removes much of the health benefits of the chocolate.
Conclusion
Coughing is part of your body’s natural defense against infections, allergens, and foreign materials. When your respiratory system is irritated, it causes you to cough in an attempt to rid your body of the irritant. An unfortunate side effect of this defense mechanism is that, in the event of an infection, it causes the infection to spread. If you have a contagious disease, it is spread simply from your breathing and contact, but coughing only makes it worse. While it is fairly easy to avoid breathing on someone, a sudden cough can send bacteria across a room in less than a second.
It is easy for most children and adults to dismiss coughing as irritating and potentially painful, but not harmful. In most cases, this is correct, but there is one particular exception that is worth mentioning. Whooping cough, while unpleasant for anyone, can be fatal to the very young and very old. Whooping cough causes such severe coughing that it can result in broken ribs, busted capillaries in your eyes, and even a collapsed lung. The severity of whooping cough cannot be overstated, and it is vital that children, in particular, be vaccinated against the disease.
In most cases, coughing is not going to cause you to break any ribs or collapse your lung. For most people, coughing is just an annoyance that must be dealt with. Next time you feel that familiar tickle in your throat, give these tips a try. You may find one that works perfectly for you.
