How to Stop Coughing?

Coughing is a healthy and normal reflex. Your body uses it to help clear your airways of mucus, smoke, and other irritants. However, coughing all the time has disadvantages. You can have weariness and chest pain, as well as disturbances to your activities, work, and sleep. Your upper airway (snake and throat) cells become contaminated or inflamed when you cough or have a sore throat; this sets off your immune system to assist in defending yourself. Working to lower the inflammation will help you feel better from the symptoms.

Coughing

The natural instinct of coughing is to remove mucus or foreign objects from your throat. While every person occasionally coughs to clean their throat, several illnesses might make coughing more often.

The majority of coughing fits usually go away in two weeks or at least much improved. If your cough doesn’t get better in a few weeks, see a doctor or other medical professional. This can be a sign of something more serious.

Types of Cough

There are three types of cough:

• Acute Cough: An acute cough is defined as one that lasts for fewer than three weeks.
• Subacute Cough: A cough is deemed subacute if it persists for three to eight weeks and clears up by the end of that time.
• Chronic Cough: A chronic cough is defined as a persistent cough lasting longer than eight weeks.

Reasons for a Cough

Coughs can have a variety of reasons:

• Foreign Particles: The body’s natural reaction to mucus clogging the airways is coughing.  This facilitates breathing by removing impurities from the air, such as smoke and dust.

This type of coughing usually occurs when exposed to irritants such as smoke.

• Asthma: Young toddlers’ coughs are frequently caused by asthma. Asthmatic coughs frequently exhibit wheezing, which makes diagnosis easy.

When asthma flares up, you should use medication (delivered by an inhaler or nebulizer) to clear your airway. Children with asthma may be able to outgrow their condition as they become older.

• Smoking: Smoking is another common cause of coughing. A cough that is caused by smoking is almost always chronic and has a distinct sound.
• Medication: Coughing is sometimes a side effect of certain medicines. However, it’s normally uncommon.
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: This is another prevalent ailment that can result in a persistent cough (GERD). Your stomach’s contents drain back into your esophagus when this happens. You cough as a result of this backflow, stimulating a reflex in your trachea or windpipe.
• Additional Conditions: Additional ailments that can induce a cough include vocal cord damage, postnasal drip, bacterial infections including whooping cough, pneumonia, and croup, and serious illnesses like heart failure and pulmonary embolism.

Ways to Stop Coughing

A persistent cough can be treated in a variety of natural ways.

• Ginger: Due to its anti-inflammatory qualities, ginger may help with a dry or asthmatic cough. It might also ease pain and nausea. Ginger is frequently used in food preparation and tea consumption.
• Warm Liquids: Warming up their drinks may help those who are experiencing more symptoms of the flu or cold. Hot drinks can relieve weariness, chills, and sore throats, among other symptoms.
• Honey: Honey can be used to treat coughs caused by upper respiratory infections. Taking a tablespoon of honey internally or mixing it into a hot beverage, such as herbal tea, can help in stopping coughing.
• Steaming: Steaming might help with a wet cough that generates phlegm or mucus.A person can try this strategy either by taking a hot bath or shower and letting the steam fill the bathroom. The second method for steaming would be to prepare a steam bowl. This method helps in relieving congestion, in turn reducing cough.
• Gargle With Saltwater: A long-standing remedy for sore throats and cold-related symptoms is the use of saltwater gargles. It could aid in pain relief and mucus release. Saltwater gargling can be done several times a day.
• Acid Reflux Prevention: Another common cause of coughs is acid reflux.One of the ways for managing acid reflux and reducing the resulting cough is to avoid meals that may aggravate the illness.

The reflux triggers that each person has to stay away from may differ. Unaware of the exact source of their reflux, people can start by cutting out the most frequent triggers from their diet and keeping an eye on their symptoms.

• Avoid Allergens: Strong odors, smoke, and dust are examples of environmental irritants that can make a cough worse. Managing your cough can greatly benefit from maintaining a clean atmosphere and limiting your exposure to irritants.Steer clear of secondhand smoke, and don’t smoke, as smoke can trigger coughing.
• Cough Drops or Lozenges: Cough drops or lozenges soothe an inflamed throat and reduce coughing. However, little children should not be given these.
• Hydration: Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and to thin mucus. This helps in reducing the cough.

Time to Call the Doctor

Call your doctor if:

• You have a persistent cough or a deep cough that produces a lot of mucus.
• Mucus has a red colour.
• You have tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, or wheezing.
• Your fever still persists after three days,
• Your child has the chills or is coughing uncontrollably at night.
• You’ve had your cough for seven days, and it’s not getting better.

How to Prevent Coughing

When experiencing a cold or respiratory infection, finding quick relief from coughing can be essential. While remedies like honey or steam offer immediate comfort, others may take longer to take effect.

Here are some additional measures that may help reduce coughing:

• Stay hydrated with warm fluids, such as tea or broth, to soothe the throat.
• Limit dairy intake, as it may contribute to mucus buildup.
• Avoid alcohol, which can dry out the throat and worsen irritation.
• Use humidifiers or inhale steam from a hot shower to keep airways moist.

Additionally, over-the-counter medications containing dextromethorphan or cough drops may help suppress coughing and provide relief.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, a cough is not dangerous until it lasts more than two weeks or you experience other symptoms like breathing difficulties. Some coughs, such as strep throat, pneumonia, and chronic bronchitis, require the use of an antibiotic, whereas many coughs resolve with home treatments over time. Your pediatrician should always be consulted when a child or infant has a cough.