How to Stop Coughing
Stay hydrated., Keep your throat healthy., Utilize the air., Take medicine., Talk to your doctor.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stay hydrated.
Lovingly called postnasal drip, the stuff that comes out of your nose and trickles down your throat, ultimately irritating it, can be helped by drinking water.
This thins out the mucus, making it more manageable for your throat.Unfortunately, this doesn't mean eggnog.
Water, as always, is best.
Stay away from carbonated drinks and juices with high acidity levels--they may irritate your throat even more. -
Step 2: Keep your throat healthy.
Though taking care of your throat doesn't necessarily mean taking care of your cough (that's often a symptom in itself), it will help you feel and sleep better.
Try lozenges or cough drops.
They numb the back of the throat, decreasing the cough reflex.
Drinking warm tea with honey helps soothe the throat in a similar manner.
Make sure it's not too hot though! 1/2 tsp of ground ginger or apple cider vinegar with 1/2 tsp of honey is not an uncommon tactic, but it is medically unsupported. , Create an environment that goes easy on your throat.
If you change your environment, your symptoms may lessen.
Take steamy showers.
They can loosen the secretions in your nose, making it easier to breathe.
Invest in a humidifier.
Putting moisture back in the air if it's dry can help ease the pain.
Remove irritants.
Perfumes and scented deodorizing sprays are harmless on the outside, but some people are sensitive to them and can develop sinus irritation from the exposure.
Of course, smoke is the ultimate culprit.
If you are around someone who smokes, remove yourself.
If you smoke, your cough is probably chronic and above being deemed just a nuisance. , If nothing else is working, medicine it is.
Your best bet is to consult a doctor; there are a number of different medications to discern between.
Consider decongestants.
They work their miracles by lessening the amount of mucus your sinuses produce and shrinking your swollen nasal tissues.
When it comes to the lungs, they dry up the mucus already present and open up the airway passages.
You can find them in pills, liquids and sprays.
But if you have hypertension, be careful:
They can raise blood pressure.
And if you go overboard with them, they can make everything too dry, giving you a dry cough.
Consider cough suppressants.
If you can barely get a wink of shut eye because your chest hurts so bad, you may want to go for cough suppressants like Delsym, DexAlone, and Vicks Formula
44.
Use them only at night though.Consider expectorants.
If your cough is thick with phlegm, it helps to take a cough expectorant such as guaifenesin--found in Humibid, Mucinex, Robitussin Chest Congestion, and Tussin.
These thin out the mucus and the pretty part is you'll be able to cough it up.Do not give over-the-counter drugs to children under the age of 4, says the FDA.
They can cause serious side effects. , A simple cough may not warrant a visit to a healthcare professional, but if it lingers or is the side effect of a bigger problem, it's best to consult someone who can properly diagnose you.
Regardless of the duration of your cough, if you are coughing up blood, experiencing chills or fatigue, see your doctor immediately.
They will be able to determine the cause of your cough--asthma, allergies, the flu, etc. -
Step 3: Utilize the air.
-
Step 4: Take medicine.
-
Step 5: Talk to your doctor.
Detailed Guide
Lovingly called postnasal drip, the stuff that comes out of your nose and trickles down your throat, ultimately irritating it, can be helped by drinking water.
This thins out the mucus, making it more manageable for your throat.Unfortunately, this doesn't mean eggnog.
Water, as always, is best.
Stay away from carbonated drinks and juices with high acidity levels--they may irritate your throat even more.
Though taking care of your throat doesn't necessarily mean taking care of your cough (that's often a symptom in itself), it will help you feel and sleep better.
Try lozenges or cough drops.
They numb the back of the throat, decreasing the cough reflex.
Drinking warm tea with honey helps soothe the throat in a similar manner.
Make sure it's not too hot though! 1/2 tsp of ground ginger or apple cider vinegar with 1/2 tsp of honey is not an uncommon tactic, but it is medically unsupported. , Create an environment that goes easy on your throat.
If you change your environment, your symptoms may lessen.
Take steamy showers.
They can loosen the secretions in your nose, making it easier to breathe.
Invest in a humidifier.
Putting moisture back in the air if it's dry can help ease the pain.
Remove irritants.
Perfumes and scented deodorizing sprays are harmless on the outside, but some people are sensitive to them and can develop sinus irritation from the exposure.
Of course, smoke is the ultimate culprit.
If you are around someone who smokes, remove yourself.
If you smoke, your cough is probably chronic and above being deemed just a nuisance. , If nothing else is working, medicine it is.
Your best bet is to consult a doctor; there are a number of different medications to discern between.
Consider decongestants.
They work their miracles by lessening the amount of mucus your sinuses produce and shrinking your swollen nasal tissues.
When it comes to the lungs, they dry up the mucus already present and open up the airway passages.
You can find them in pills, liquids and sprays.
But if you have hypertension, be careful:
They can raise blood pressure.
And if you go overboard with them, they can make everything too dry, giving you a dry cough.
Consider cough suppressants.
If you can barely get a wink of shut eye because your chest hurts so bad, you may want to go for cough suppressants like Delsym, DexAlone, and Vicks Formula
44.
Use them only at night though.Consider expectorants.
If your cough is thick with phlegm, it helps to take a cough expectorant such as guaifenesin--found in Humibid, Mucinex, Robitussin Chest Congestion, and Tussin.
These thin out the mucus and the pretty part is you'll be able to cough it up.Do not give over-the-counter drugs to children under the age of 4, says the FDA.
They can cause serious side effects. , A simple cough may not warrant a visit to a healthcare professional, but if it lingers or is the side effect of a bigger problem, it's best to consult someone who can properly diagnose you.
Regardless of the duration of your cough, if you are coughing up blood, experiencing chills or fatigue, see your doctor immediately.
They will be able to determine the cause of your cough--asthma, allergies, the flu, etc.
About the Author
Frank Wells
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow cooking tutorials.
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