This article will review what might bring on a dry cough and why it may worsen at night.
It will also explore how to manage a dry cough and when to see a healthcare professional.
For many nighttime coughs,gravityis a pivotal contributor.
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When you lie flat to sleep at night, mucus and other fluids can pool together in the throat.
Environmental factors can also contribute to a worsening cough at night.
Hormone and lung function changesandincreased airway sensitivitymay also be behind a worsening cough at night.
These nighttime changes have been reported in individuals with asthma.
What Brings on a Dry Cough at Night?
There are many potential causes of dry cough at night.
How Does COVID-19 Cause a Cough?
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung condition associated with inflammation and narrowing of the airways.
It’s a prominent cause of chronic cough in adults and the most common cause in children.
Some individuals with asthma only experience a cough, typically dry.
This form of asthma is calledcough-variant asthma.
GERD
GERD shows up when stomach contents move back up the esophagus.
The main symptom isheartburn, a burning sensation behind the breast bone.
A dry cough may also occur if stomach acid is inhaled into the lungs.
Postnasal drip has many causes, includingallergiesand colds.
Allergies occur when your immune system mistakes a harmless substance for something foreign and harmful and reacts abnormally.
Symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, and dry cough from airway inflammation.
These chronic health conditions cannot be treated at home.
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