There are many causes for a dry cough. Whatever the root, don’t ignore this noisy problem.
“Many dry coughs are temporary and will go away on their own,” says Marianne Hagood, MSN, FNP-C, at Beaufort Memorial Express Care and Occupational Health. “However, a dry cough can sometimes point to a more serious condition that needs to be checked out.”
Read More: 8 Health Problems You Should Never Ignore
Why You Cough in the First Place
Every breath you take introduces oxygen to your lungs. When dust, germs and other irritants clog your throat and airway, your body works to get rid of — and protect you from — the irritants. How do you protect yourself? By coughing.
Knowing what causes a dry cough helps you take the right next step.
Can Allergies Cause Coughing?
Allergies are one of the top causes for dry cough.
You experience an allergic reaction when your immune system overreacts to something in your environment that isn’t typically harmful, such as dust, mold or pollen.
In addition to a dry cough, other symptoms of an allergic reaction include:
- Itchy or runny nose
- Red, itchy or watery eyes
- Wheezing
Do Ear Infections Result in Coughing?
Ear infections occur when viruses or bacteria make their way to your middle ear. Although you may associate them with your head more than your airways, ear infections can also lead to coughing.
Additional symptoms of an ear infection include:
- Dizziness
- Fever
- Hearing loss that’s typically temporary but may become permanent with repeated ear infections
- Pain or pressure in the ear that worsens when lying down
- Runny nose
- Vomiting
Ear infections that last longer than a few days may require antibiotics. Untreated ear infections can cause lasting damage, so call your health care provider if you suspect an ear infection is affecting you or your child.
The Acid Reflux-Cough Connection
Acid reflux and its more severe form, gastroesophageal reflux disease, occur when stomach acid flows backward from the stomach into the esophagus. Typically, people feel a burning sensation in the chest, but acid reflux and GERD can also trigger a dry cough.
“Often the coughing becomes chronic, affecting you for weeks or months,” Hagood says.
GERD may also cause nausea, pain when swallowing or frequent hoarseness.
Read More: What’s the Difference Between Heartburn, Acid Reflux and GERD?
Does Strep Throat Cause a Cough?
Strep throat can spread through coughs, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it doesn’t cause you to develop a cough.
Rather, you may develop:
- Fever
- Headache
- Nausea, vomiting or stomach pain
- Small red spots on the roof of your mouth
- Sore throat
- Swollen tonsils or white patches on the tonsils
Often, strep throat requires antibiotics.
Is Coughing a Cold or Flu Symptom?
Coughs are among the most common symptoms of the common cold, influenza and other upper respiratory infections. However, these coughs tend to be “wet” because they produce mucus, which builds up in your lungs when you have one of these infections.
If you also have nasal congestion, either caused by a respiratory illness or an allergy, you might develop a dry cough thanks to postnasal drip, another term for mucus that travels down the back of your throat.
Read More: Flu Season? Watch Out for These 10 Other Illnesses
What Causes You to Cough at Night?
“Disruptive as a daytime cough is, nighttime coughing may have a worse effect on your quality of life,” Hagood says. “Nighttime coughing can keep you from getting good sleep, leaving you tired and less sharp mentally the following day.”
The problem may be due to your medication. Pills that help with high blood pressure or heart disease can cause a dry cough that gets worse at nighttime. A nighttime dry cough can also develop if the air in your home is very dry, often a problem during colder, drier weather.
Late-night coughs can also indicate another health condition, such as GERD or heart failure. With heart failure, lying down at night can lead to fluid buildup in your lungs, and that can cause you to cough.
When a Cough Won’t Go Away
Coughs that last for three weeks or less generally aren’t serious and will go away without treatment or with simple home care, such as using a humidifier and cough drops.
If a cough lingers eight weeks or longer, it’s considered chronic, and you should visit your provider to find a treatment for the root cause.
Causes of a chronic cough include:
- Allergies
- Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other lung diseases
- Lung cancer
- A sinus infection
- Smoking cigarettes
- Uncontrolled digestive issues, such as reflux
The Allergy & Asthma Network recommends tracking your coughs with CoughTracker, a smartphone app. By keeping tabs on your coughing habits, you help your health care provider diagnose and treat the source of your cough.
Have a cough you can’t shake? See a health care provider wherever you are through BMH Care Anywhere.
