Persistent dry cough, which usually gets worse at night, despite several causes, is more common to be caused by an allergic reaction and, in this case, the best thing to do is to fight allergy, with the use of an antihistamine remedy, such as loratadine, for example. However, it is necessary to discover the cause of the allergy and avoid any exposure to the cause.
If your cough persists for more than a week, if it gets worse or is accompanied by other signs such as thick mucus, blood, fever or breathing difficulties, it is very important to go to the hospital or see a pneumologist, family doctor or clinician. identify the cause and initiate the most appropriate treatment.
The most common causes of persistent dry cough are
Allergy to dust, animal hair or flower pollen causes throat irritation, causing coughing until the cause of respiratory allergy is identified and eliminated.
Gastroesophageal reflux can also cause a dry cough after eating spicy or very acidic foods. Learn more about gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Heart problems such as heart failure, which causes fluid to build up in the lungs, can also cause a cough. Learn more about respiratory failure.
Cigarette use and smoke and pollution cause throat irritation and can also stimulate cough reflex.
Asthma causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing or noise when breathing and coughing, especially at night. Learn how to identify and treat asthma.
It is important that the person who has a dry and persistent cough drinks plenty of water, to keep the throat hydrated and avoid dry environments. A dry and persistent cough can also be caused less frequently by medication side effects, psychological conditions, stress and anxiety, as some people have an increase in breathing rate when found in stress or anxiety situations, which stimulates coughing.
The person with a persistent dry cough should make an appointment with a family doctor or pediatrician so that they can order tests to identify the cause of the cough and indicate the best treatment.
Treatment of persistent dry cough should be directed at addressing its cause. In case of allergic dry cough, in addition to the use of medicines prescribed by your doctor, it is important to:
Cases of persistent dry cough for more than a week deserve more attention, especially if the individual has asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis or any other chronic respiratory disease. This can mean a worsening of the disease and the need to take antihistamines or corticosteroids.
See the home options to cough in the video below: