{"id":1903,"date":"2018-06-08T07:38:56","date_gmt":"2018-06-08T07:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=1903"},"modified":"2021-03-17T14:43:51","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T14:43:51","slug":"10-surprising-dry-cough-causes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/10-surprising-dry-cough-causes\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Surprising Dry Cough Causes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

When you have a dry cough, the first thing that you will probably consider as a potential cause is a cold or flu. While it is true that an upper respiratory infection is the most probable cause of a dry cough, there are other reasons that you might not have considered. In fact, there are some reasons for getting a dry cough the may actually surprise you. These are reasons that most people do not even realize have the potential to cause a dry cough. Let\u2019s look at these surprising reasons, so that if you have ruled out cold or flu as the culprit, there are still some ideas that you can pursue as to what is causing your dry cough. If you can figure out what the problem is, then you have a decent chance of eliminating whatever it is that is making you cough.<\/p>\n

1. Allergies<\/h3>\n

One of the causes of dry cough that may surprise you is allergies<\/a>. Many people get allergy \u2013 or \u201chayfever\u201d reactions in the United States. There are a number of causes for allergies, including pet dander and pollen. The problem is, when most people experience these symptoms, they are restricted to things like itchy and watery eyes and sneezing.<\/p>\n

A dry cough only happens in a small percentage of cases where the cause can be traced to allergies. It depends upon how your body reacts to the allergens, as well as what the allergen actually is. For example, some forms of mold will cause your lungs to react as well as trigger other allergy symptoms. If you normally suffer from allergies, then consider this is a potential cause. You may be able to take an antihistamine in order to combat these allergy symptoms to a certain extent.\"\"<\/p>\n

2. Environmental Irritants<\/h3>\n

There are lots of environmental irritants that can cause you to have a dry cough. One of the most common examples is secondhand smoke. People that smoke cigarettes<\/a> will develop a cough after a few years of smoking, but people that breathe in cigarette smoke may also react badly to it. This is usually fairly easy to identify because you know whether or not you are surrounded by smokers and whether this could be a potential cause for your dry cough.<\/p>\n

But it is not just cigarette smoke that can cause a reaction in the lungs. You may also be reacting to pollution in the air, someone\u2019s really strong perfume or various other irritants that you have not considered. You will have to use your detective skills and figure out whether there is something around you that could be causing your cough so that you can eliminate it.\"\"<\/p>\n

3. Postnasal Drip<\/h3>\n

Postnasal drip is a problem experienced by many that can lead to having a dry cough. What happens is that when you are congested<\/a>, the mucus drips down into your throat and makes you cough. Anytime there is irritation in the throat, you have the potential to cough. There isn\u2019t a whole lot that you can do to combat this except for the normal ways to combat coughing like cough drops or cold medicine.<\/p>\n

The best thing that you can do is try to recover from your postnasal drip as soon as possible. You may want to talk to your doctor and ask for a prescription for antibiotics if your cold is very bad, but antibiotics should be used very sparingly because they are not good for you and your body might get used to them and not be able to get rid of an infection that is more serious.\"\"<\/p>\n

4. Acid Reflux<\/h3>\n

You might be surprised to learn that acid reflux can cause dry cough. Acid reflux<\/a>, also known as heartburn, is a condition where the stomach acids back up into your throat. You will notice acid reflux symptoms if this is what is causing your cough. The most common symptom of acid reflux is a burning right in the center of your chest. This is why the disease is known as heartburn.<\/p>\n

There are medications that you can take in order to combat acid reflux. For example, you may wish to go with the over-the-counter option of Rolaids or Tums, although for more serious or chronic cases of acid reflux, there are more expensive over-the-counter remedies such as Prilosec which used to be available only as a prescription. If you can eliminate the acid reflux, then you will be able to eliminate the dry coughing as well.\"\"<\/p>\n

5. Sleep Apnea<\/h3>\n

If you have sleep apnea<\/a>, or you are at risk for sleep apnea, then it might be causing your cough. In fact, a 2007 study found a definite link between sleep apnea and chronic dry cough. Many people with sleep apnea may not notice the cough and attributed to their sleep apnea because they are smokers or are exposed to toxins that could cause coughing.<\/p>\n

However, there are definite connections between the two and it is something that you should investigate. If you have sleep apnea, then your doctor will be able to prescribe a treatment that makes it easier for you to breathe at night and will likely eliminate your cough symptoms as well.<\/p>\n

Sleep apnea is a serious condition, so even if you are not experiencing a dry cough, you should get it treated nonetheless. Besides, you may develop the dry cough later on.\"\"<\/p>\n

6. Side Effects of Prescription Medication<\/h3>\n

Some of the prescription medications out there may cause a dry cough. This is pretty easy to recognize and attribute to prescription medications. When you have dry cough<\/a>, you can usually trace some event back that happened before the cough started. With prescription medication this is pretty easy to do. If you developed your dry cough at any time after starting the prescription medication, then you should talk to your doctor and find out if that is a side effect.<\/p>\n

You may also be able to look up the medication on the Internet yourself and find out if dry cough is a side effect. If it is indeed the prescription medication that is causing your cough, you should not stop your prescription, but instead make an appointment with your doctor and find out whether he or she thinks that the side effect of dry cough is worth the benefit the medication is providing to you.\"\"<\/p>\n

7. Bronchitis<\/h3>\n

Bronchitis<\/a> is one of the conditions mostly characterized by a dry, hacking cough, but people do not think of it right away because it is not uncommon condition to get unless you live in an area where there is heavy pollution that you breathe in on a regular basis or where you are always coughing because of irritants in the air like cigarette smoke. But bronchitis is an actual infection that causes inflammation in the lining of your bronchial tubes.<\/p>\n

The bronchial tubes are what carry air to your lungs and back. One of the giveaway symptoms of bronchitis is thick mucus which may be several different colors. Acute bronchitis happens with people who get the infection and are able to get rid of it with treatment while chronic bronchitis is an inflammation of the lungs that happens all the time causing coughing.\"\"<\/p>\n

8. Heart Failure<\/h3>\n

Believe it or not, heart failure may actually be behind your chronic dry cough. This is one of the lease common causes of dry cough, but it does happen. The reason for the cough has to do with the way that a heart that is not able to push blood like it should pushes fluid back into the lungs. When the lungs<\/a> are congested, it can cause a dry cough. So, how do you know if you have heart failure or are at risk for it?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the way that most people find out that they have heart failure is because they have a heart attack. If you have a dry cough and you are not able to attribute it to any of the other symptoms on this list, then you may want to talk to your doctor and get your heart tested. If you recognize this is a symptom and it is indeed caused by heart failure, you may prevent a heart attack by giving in and seeing your doctor.\"\"<\/p>\n

9. Pulmonary Embolism<\/h3>\n

Another surprising cause of dry cough might be a pulmonary embolism<\/a>. A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the lungs. This is an extremely serious condition that can be life-threatening. If you believe that you have a pulmonary embolism, then you need to contact 911 as soon as possible. The most common symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are chest pain and shortness of breath.<\/p>\n

You should especially pay attention if you have chest pain and shortness of breath combined with a dry cough. However, the sudden onset dry cough may indicate the need for immediate medical attention if it is caused by a pulmonary embolism. The way that you can tell that cough might be caused by this serious illness or by something else on this list is whether the cough started recently and keeps getting worse over the span of a few minutes or hours. If you have had the cough for many months or years, it is not likely due to a pulmonary embolism.\"\"<\/p>\n

10. Lung Cancer<\/h3>\n

Although your dry cough is probably not lung cancer, but easily attributable to one of the other symptoms on this list, you should know that lung cancer<\/a> can cause dry cough. In fact, about half of the people that are diagnosed with lung cancer have a persistent dry cough. Part of this is probably due to the large number of smokers who get diagnosed with lung cancer, but part of it is the cancer itself.<\/p>\n

Although lung cancer is very serious, in some cases it is also treatable. If you notice that you have a dry cough without another cause, then you may want to talk to your Doctor and find out for sure if you have lung cancer or not.<\/p>\n

\"\"11. Irritated Airways After a Cold or Flu<\/h3>\n

You recovered from your cold last week, but you\u2019re still dealing with a dry cough. It\u2019s surprising that this symptom hangs around, but it\u2019s not all that uncommon to see in patients that have recently dealt with a bout of the flu<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

When bacteria or a virus enter the bloodstream and start to create flu symptoms, they increase inflammation in the throat and airways. This inflammation typically begins as a light tickle in the back of your throat and leads to a full-blown cough as your body tries to clear the infection from the airways.<\/span><\/p>\n

While most symptoms of a cold or the flu dissipate within 48-hours of starting treatment for your condition, a dry cough may hang around for weeks after the infection clears. The inflammation in your throat and airways takes longer to subside, resulting in a dry cough that won\u2019t quit. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can treat a dry cough with cough mixture until the inflammation starts to subside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"12. Stress<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

We live in a fast-paced world. Our daily lives include responsibilities at work, spending time with the family, and socializing with our peers. We reduce our stress levels through exercise and sleep. When we sleep, our brain clears the neural pathways of toxins accumulated during the day. If we fail to get enough sleep, it can lead to rising stress<\/a> levels, that have the potential to weaken our immune system.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a weakened state, the immune system battles to fight viral and bacterial infection, resulting in the development of a cold or the flu. This strategy forces the body to take time off to recover, and most of us spend a few days in bed to clear our symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, a dry cough can hang around for days or weeks after an infection clears. As a result, we may think that we have a severe respiratory problem, and may seek medical advice to solve the problem. Unfortunately, there\u2019s little your doctor can do to treat the cough, other than prescribing some cough mixture and throat lozenges. Stress, especially when it’s chronic, can make colds last longer. To beat back a lingering cough, slow down and ease stress while you’re sick. Pushing yourself too hard might just make you sicker. One way to relax is to rest more: Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"13. Dehydration<\/h3>\n

When we get sick, our body turns up the temperature, resulting in a fever. As a result, perspiration rates increase, and we start to experience dehydration<\/a>. Dehydration takes its toll on the body, affecting neurological and physiological function. As dehydration increases, we begin to feel weak and tired, and if we don\u2019t get fluids into our body, severe health complications can arise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Always ensure that you have enough water to drink when you\u2019re dealing with a bout of the flu. We recommend you drink purified water that\u2019s been through a reverse osmosis filter to remove all harmful particles, hormones, and viruses. <\/span><\/p>\n

In a dehydrated state, inflammation in the throat and lungs increases, resulting in a dry cough. If we fail to receive treatment, the symptoms will persist, even after the initial infection clears. We recommend that you sleep with a humidifier running at the room. The moist air will help soothe your air.<\/span>\"\"14. Overuse of OTC Nasal Decongestant Spray<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When we develop a cold, due to infection by the flu virus, our sinus begins to run. OTC nasal sprays provide some relief to dry up the sinus and prevent you from blowing your nose all day. However, most over-the-counter nasal sprays contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents to dry the sinus<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you read the information sheet, you\u2019ll notice that the manufacturers recommend you cease use of the product after three days. This three-day period gives you ample time to recover from the flu and put down the nasal spray. However, some people may decide to keep using the spray past the three-day mark. <\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, they may develop a dry cough from the NSAIDs, as they dry out the tissues in the throat. The NSAIDS make your nasal membranes swell as well, resulting in a post-nasal drip that forces a dry cough. If you still have a stuffy nose after three days of use, consider switching to a saline nasal spray to avoid the post-nasal drip.<\/span><\/p>\n

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