- Postnasal drip is a reverse runny nose in that thick mucus is constantly draining down the back of your throat, giving you an urge to cough or swallow frequently.
- According to Dr Neil Bhattacharyya when you lie, mucus collects at the back of your throat since it cannot drain.
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Have you, or someone you know been coughing at night?
Many of those who cough at night are often well throughout the day but when darkness steps in, the situation changes quickly.
Being a chilly season and with lower nighttime temperatures, it is not unusual to cough at night.
Coughing is a common reflex that clears your throat of mucus or foreign irritants.
While it is not unusual to cough, some coughs can grow chronic.
Healthline classifies coughs into two; a cough that brings up mucus which is known as a "productive" or wet cough.
A cough that does not bring up mucus is known as an "unproductive" or dry cough.
According to Harvard University, several factors can lead to coughing at night.
1. Causes
Diseases such as colds, flus and allergies
These cause the body to produce excess mucus and when you lie down, that mucus can drip down the back of your throat and trigger your cough reflex.
Postnasal drip can lead to nocturnal coughing.
Postnasal drip is a reverse runny nose in which thick mucus is constantly draining down the back of your throat, giving you an urge to cough or swallow frequently.
According to Dr Neil Bhattacharyya, an ear, nose, and throat specialist (otolaryngologist) at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear, when you lie, mucus collects at the back of your throat since it cannot drain.
"In the daytime, when you're upright, these fluids drain naturally with the help of gravity, and you swallow and clear them. When you lie down, you lose the help of gravity, and mucus collects at the back of the throat. If mucus lands on the vocal cords in the throat, or if you inhale some mucus and it enters the lungs, it triggers a wet cough that produces phlegm or mucus," Bhattacharyya says.
Causes of postnasal drip include cold temperatures, dry air, hormonal changes, certain foods, chemical irritants and nasal sprays.
To ease postnasal drip, one is advised to drink more water to thin out the mucus, use a saline nasal spray, gargle with salty water 3 or 4 times a day an use a humidifier to add moisture to the air.
Asthma.
One of the symptoms of asthma is a persistent cough, especially at night.
Asthma cannot be cured but it can be treated using several methods including the use of an inhaler, which delivers medication directly to the lungs.
Inhalers can help control the disease and enable people with asthma to enjoy a normal, active life.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which stomach acid repeatedly flows back up into the oesophagus.
The backwash is known as acid reflux, and it can irritate the lining of the oesophagus.
When this occurs, Dr Bhattacharyya says it can lead to coughing.
"When acid gets on the vocal cords, you start to cough. In severe cases, acid gets into the windpipe and causes wheezing," Dr. Bhattacharyya says.
GERD can cause a dry cough that may or may not be accompanied by heartburn or pain in your chest.
Heart failure
Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should.
When this happens, blood often backs up and fluid can build up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath and coughing.
"When the heart isn't pumping well, fluid backs up and seeps into other tissues. In the daytime, when you're upright, gravity forces the fluid into the lower extremities. When you lie down, some fluid builds up in the lungs, which makes you cough," Dr Bhattacharyya says.
"A dry cough at night may be one of the first signs of heart failure."
Drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)
ACEIs tend to limit your body's ability to produce mucus, which can lead to a persistent, dry, and itchy cough.
2. Remedies
If you have been coughing at night, you can take menthol cough drops.
According to Healthline, they provide cooling, soothing effect and sucking on one before you get into bed may help lubricate your throat and prevent irritation during the night.
Humidifier
Humidifier therapy adds moisture to the air which can help prevent dryness that can irritate.
However, you have to ensure that you clean your humidifier properly to avoid spreading bacteria and leading to illness.
Drink herbal tea with honey and lemon.
Honey helps coat the throat and prevent irritation and the cough reflex. The lemon has anti-inflammatory qualities that may help with cough.
Mind your food
Avoid eating heavy, spicy, fatty and late-night meals because they may make your GERD symptoms worse and cause nighttime coughing.
Foods high in fibre, water, and alkaline can improve your symptoms.
So consider eating those instead at least 3 hours before bedtime.
These foods include bananas, brown rice, sweet potatoes, broccoli, watermelon, carrots, cucumber, pineapple, and brothy soups.