Get ready for the coughing season, says an article on WebMD
As we enter the cold weather, we're going to see more cases of chronic coughs taking place.
"Even a little cough can be debilitating," says Mark Yoder, MD, assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Cold and flu season brings on hacking coughs that can leave your chest aching. But colds and flu aren't the only problems that cause coughing. Allergies, asthma, acid reflux, dry air, and smoking are common causes of coughs. Even medications such as certain drugs for high blood pressure and allergies can cause chronic cough.
Most of the time, people can manage their coughs at home by taking over-the-counter medicine and cough lozenges, removing potential allergens, or even just standing in a steamy shower, says Giselle Mosnaim, an allergist and immunologist also at Rush.
Try these five tips to manage your cough at home:
1. Stay Hydrated-
2. Try Lozenges and Hot Drinks
3. Take Steamy Showers, and Use a Humidifier
4. Remove Irritants From the Air
The worst irritant in the air is, of course, smoke. Almost all smokers eventually develop "smoker's cough." Everyone around the smoker may suffer from some airway irritation. The best solution? Smokers need to stop smoking. (Yoder warns that severe chronic cough can be a sign of emphysema or lung cancer in smokers, so see a doctor if you're a smoker with chronic cough.)
