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Why do we cough more at night or when lying down? Find out

Dr Goyal tells you why coughing aggravates during the night and how serious it is.

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Written By: Bhakti Paun Sharma | Updated : July 1, 2016 10:07 AM IST

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Do you cough your lungs out the moment you lie down at night? For some reason, the cough seems bearable during the day but it s only when you hit the bed that you realize how bad it can get. This is what happens when you cough. So what goes wrong at night? We asked Dr Jyoti Goyal, Senior Consultant & HOD, Internal Medicine at Nayati multi super specialty hospital, Mathura what aggravates coughing at night or when you lie down and when is a visit to the doctor required. Here are her responses:

There are many reasons for aggravation of cough while lying down and in the night. These are:

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  1. In cases of sinus infection and an upper respiratory tract infection copious amount of mucus is produced. During the day time, we are able to either swallow it out due to gravity or expectorate it out. However, these secretions got pooled up in lying position while sleeping and irritate the back of throat causing cough. Find out what kind of cough do you have.
  1. The other reason is during lying down contents of your stomach sometimes goes up to the oesophagus and at the back of throat causing cough. This is more pronounced in people who eat very heavy meals and have decreased tone of the lower oesophageal sphincter.
  1. If someone is allergic to bad bugs and mites in bedding he will have increased cough while going to bed.
  1. Lack of humidification of dry indoor air of the room is also responsible for increased bouts of cough. During night time airways become more sensitive to Broncho constrictors especially in cases of asthmatics responsible for worsening of symptoms during the night.

When should you contact the doctor?

Read more about why you shouldn t neglect cough. One should contact a doctor when the cough is associated with fever, breathing difficulty, yellowish expectoration, with some sounds like musical sounds called wheezing or barking cough. When it is prolonged for more than 1 week you must consult your doctor.

Do OTC drugs help?

Over the counter drugs for dry cough sometimes can give temporary relief but may mask the underlying disease. For a simple cough which is not very bothering better not to take anything as it will subside on its own in few days time. You can also try these tips to stay away from cough.

However, if it's really disturbing your routine life you can take cough suppressants (antitussive) in a right dose after understanding the contents of it. Always read about their side effects like dizziness, sleepiness and stomach upset before taking it. It is also very important to know that some cough syrups have some addictive potential and avoid using them for longer periods. You can also try these home remedies to get instant relief from cough.

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Bhakti Paun Sharma

Bhakti Paun Sharma

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