A cough is a reflex action that clears your airway of mucus and irritants. There are two kinds of cough: productive and non-productive. Mucus or phlegm is generated by a productive cough. A non-productive cough, as well-referred to as a dry cough, does not generate mucus or phlegm. Dry coughs might cause a tickling sensation and are frequently because of irritation in the throat. Doctors frequently refer to dry coughs as non-productive coughs. On the other hand, a productive or wet cough brings up phlegm that assists clear the airways of irritants.
Mentioned below are some of the common causes of cough:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
This is a type of chronic acid reflux. It takes place when stomach acid runs back up into your esophagus regularly, which connects your mouth to your stomach. Stomach acid can aggravate your esophagus and cause your cough reflex.
Other symptoms of GERD:
- heartburn
- difficulty swallowing
- chest pain
- regurgitation of food or sour liquid
- chronic cough
- the feeling of a lump in the back of the throat
- mild hoarseness
- chronic sore throat
Most people find respite from GERD via a combination of lifestyle changes and over-the-counter acid reducers.
- Asthma
This is a condition in which your airways swell and become thin. Asthma-related coughs can be productive and non-productive, but they are often non-productive. Coughing is a common sign of asthma, but it is usually not the most well-known one. But, there is a kind of asthma known as CVA or cough variant asthma that comprises a persistent dry cough as its key indication.
Additional symptoms of asthma can comprise:
- shortness of breath
- wheezing
- trouble sleeping owing to coughing or wheezing
- tightness or pain in the chest
- a whistling sound while breathing out
- wheezing or coughing attacks
- Postnasal drip
This refers to additional mucus dribbling along your throat. Once you have seasonal allergies or cold the coverings in your nose react by producing more mucus than normal. Unlike normal mucus, this mucus is runny and watery, so it drips effortlessly down the back of your throat.
Postnasal drip can irritate the nerves in the back of your throat, causing a cough.
Other symptoms of postnasal drip comprise:
- the feeling of a lump in the back of the throat
- sore throat
- trouble swallowing
- coughing at night
- runny nose
- Viral infection
When infected with viruses that cause the common cold, the short-term symptoms usually last less than a week. The cough tends to hang around long after even after other symptoms have improved. These coughs are typically dry and can last for up to two months. They are usually the consequence of irritation in your airway, which is frequently excessively sensitive after a viral illness. This kind of cough is hard to treat and often requires patience and time.
Apart from these, environmental irritants, whooping cough, collapsed lung, ACE inhibitors, lung cancer, heart failure can also cause dry cough.
Treatment of dry cough
Dry coughs can be hard to treat. Once your airways become excessively susceptible, they are easily aggravated by coughing, creating a vicious cycle. Even though there are several over the counter drugs, throat lozenges, OTC cough suppressants, and cough syrups available still there are few home remedies that you can refer to to get rid of dry cough. One such home remedy is honey. As per a recent survey, it has been proved that honey can soothe coughs better than any other cough medicine. Honey eases irritation in the lungs or the throat because of its vicious and sticky nature that assists in relieving the mucous membranes. In the case of bacterial infection, the antibacterial properties of honey guarantee respite from cough. Honey is filled with antioxidants that strengthen the immune systems to guard your airways against foreign objects and bacteria.
Tips to use honey for cough
- Take one teaspoon of honey thrice a day or consume a tablespoon of honey daily before going to bed.
- Take honey and ginger. This can be prepared by preparing a mixture of ginger and boiling water and when the solution is cold, honey should be added. Ginger has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and thus when mixed with honey helps to cure cough faster.
- Another great way to consume honey is to mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with one tablespoon of honey. Honey contains antibacterial properties and Vitamin C is there in the lemon and, so this drink is beneficial for curing coughing faster.
- You can even drink tea mixed with a tablespoon of honey for better results.
- Honey and garlic can be taken together to get rid of cough. Garlic has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties; thus, adding one spoon of garlic paste with honey is very advantageous to cure dry cough.
- Black pepper and honey: Mixing one spoonful of honey with black pepper powder will decrease the trouble of a cough and cold as well as it will calm the issues of chest infections. Thus, taking honey and black pepper is beneficial to remove cough and cold.
These are some of the simple ways by which you can use honey for cough and get quick relief from dry cough.
If you are looking for a cough syrup that contains honey; then choose Torex syrup. It is an Ayurvedic formulation that is made using twenty natural herbs. The syrup is packed with the benefits of honey and tulsi. Torex syrup can be taken by children as well as adults as it is safe for people of all age groups. The syrup must be taken with a glass of lukewarm water. People suffering from a wet cough, whooping cough, allergic rhinitis, dry cough, and chronic or acute bronchitis can profit from the herbal cough syrup. This syrup is available in 60ml and 100ml bottles.
However, before taking this syrup, it is always better to consult with the doctor.
