The cough gets worse in the evening. Night cough in an adult: causes and methods of control

But sometimes attempts to clear a throat torment a person at night, depriving him of sleep, for no obvious reason.

Why cough occurs and intensifies at night in adults, what causes it, is discussed in this article.

During a night's rest, changes occur in the human body:

muscles relax, muscle tone decreases;
Due to the fact that a person assumes a horizontal position, physiological processes occur that are related to the direction of the gravitational force:
- mucus stagnates in the respiratory tract;
- blood circulation slows down;
- breathing slows down.

What diseases provoke night cough?

The causes of night cough in adults can include:

esophagitis;
heart disease;
chronic;
inflammation of the larynx, pharynx, trachea - , ;
mediastinal tumors;
lung cancer;
allergy;
tuberculosis;
venereal diseases;
whooping cough;
taking medications;
dry indoor air;
occupational hazards;
inhalation of a foreign body.

When not to worry

Attacks of dry cough at night caused in adults by domestic reasons do not threaten health:

inhalation of tobacco smoke, the smell of perfume;
dusty indoor air.

In these cases, it is necessary to pay attention to the ventilation in the apartment and get rid of dust in the house. It is more difficult to cope with attacks caused by diseases, which, as is known, most often manifest themselves and intensify at night.

This is explained by a horizontal position during sleep and a decrease in the overall tone of skeletal muscles and smooth muscles, as well as a decrease in the activity of the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory tract.

Types of night cough

In such a case, increased attempts to cough up at night are explained by the flow of mucous secretion from the nasal cavity into the pharynx. If there is no fever, but the patient suffers, a cough may occur only at night for the same reason.

Cough is the main symptom of the disease

For some conditions in adults, a cough may be the only symptom indicating a health problem. A prolonged, hysterical attack of coughing tremors, worsening at night, may indicate the appearance of a tumor in the trachea, larynx, or bronchi.

A dry, persistent cough, the attacks of which become stronger at night, may mean a tuberculous process in the lungs or tumor growth in an adult.

Sputum, similar in appearance to semolina, is coughed up when a purulent liver abscess breaks into the pleural cavity or when a hepatic abscess is localized under the diaphragm.

If, during a series of coughing shocks, copious sputum with an unpleasant odor is released, this indicates the possibility of a lung abscess rupturing. Mucous sputum with pus is observed in focal pneumonia, and rust-colored sputum is observed in pleuropneumonia.

Night cough attacks can remain the only symptoms of bronchial asthma of allergic origin for a long time. If the cause of asthma is a home allergen, then attacks of a suffocating dry cough will occur constantly, exhausting the patient, depriving him of a night's rest.

Bronchial asthma is a dangerous disease, and without treatment can lead to death from suffocation. The cause of asthma can be an allergy to the feathers of the pillow, and in an adult it can also be smoking before bed, in which case a cough can occur as soon as the person goes to bed.

Cough with pain

Liver disease may be accompanied by coughing and pain in the right side of the chest and right collarbone. In chronic liver diseases, the pain is insignificant, but during an exacerbation of inflammatory processes in the liver, the pain intensifies.

A cough that gets worse in the evening most often bothers children. This is because their respiratory system is not yet developed enough. This means that she may react inadequately to any irritants with which the child’s body interacts. This disorder also occurs in adults. In this case, evening cough appears due to the development of a pathological process that affects the state of the respiratory system.

Types of night cough

A cough that bothers a person in the evening, but does not make itself felt the rest of the day, is an alarming sign. Therefore, it should not be ignored.

This symptom may be evidence that the body is being attacked by a disease. In addition, it often indicates that the patient is in an unfavorable environment.

Doctors distinguish several types of evening cough:

Dry;
Moist with phlegm;
Whistling;
Deaf;
Barking;
Paroxysmal.

It is very important to assess the nature of the cough attack. Based on this sign, a specialist can approximately or accurately determine why the patient is worried about this symptom. Sputum provides a lot of information about pathology. The doctor must examine its consistency, hardness and quantity.

Attention is also paid to the color of mucous secretions. If it has a greenish or yellowish tint, then it makes sense to talk about the viral nature of the disease. Interspersed blood sputum often indicates the development of pulmonary tuberculosis or cancer.

Causes of evening sickness

There are a huge number of factors that cause a cough attack at night and in the evening. Many of them indicate the development and spread of a certain disease throughout the body. Most often, people experience this unpleasant symptom for the following reasons:

If a cough constantly bothers a person at night, then the pathological process is usually identified as the nature of its occurrence.

Methods for treating a painful condition in a child

In children, evening and night cough is often a symptom of illness. Only a pediatrician, who should show the child, can accurately determine this.

After the examination, he will select suitable therapy for the little patient. .

When prescribing treatment to relieve a cough attack at night, he will definitely take into account the age of the child and the characteristics of his body.

If the child does not have a pathological process that could cause an evening cough, then taking medications is not indicated for him. In such a situation, children are recommended to be given plenty of fluids. It perfectly moisturizes the mucous membrane and helps phlegm to pass away faster.

You can use warm raspberry tea as your main drink. Before giving your child something to drink, you need to make sure that he is not allergic to this product.

The following recommendations will help alleviate the child’s condition:

To eliminate a cough attack at night, it is necessary to create ideal conditions in the children's room in which the child will be comfortable.

Pharmaceutical preparations intended for this purpose can help get rid of a cough that begins in adults in the evening. They must be prescribed by a specialist.

It is impossible to completely cure attacks with such means.

The fact is that their action is aimed at alleviating the symptom. The main therapy should combat the disease that is accompanied by cough.

In order to eliminate a severe cough that occurs before bedtime, the following groups of drugs are taken:

Antitussives - prescribed if a spasm is caused by stimulation of nerve endings. It is also taken in the absence of sputum production during an attack.
Expectorants - help mucus clear from the bronchi faster. These medications are recommended for wet cough.
Mucolytics - make sputum less thick and increase its volume. Due to this, pathogenic microorganisms along with mucus are removed from the respiratory tract more quickly.
Antihistamines - prescribed in the presence of an allergic reaction.

In order to correctly choose the appropriate medicine, you need to know exactly the cause of the night cough.

Providing first aid for a cough attack

Sometimes a coughing attack is so severe that the patient has to immediately call an ambulance. Before the arrival of specialists, you can try to alleviate his condition using the following methods:

Smoking easily causes a coughing attack that may not go away for a long time. Therefore, you should give up this bad habit at least until complete recovery, so as not to endanger your own health.

Everyone can avoid the appearance of an evening cough if they adhere to a number of simple rules. But before that, you should still go to see a doctor.

An examination by a specialist will help the patient understand how dangerous his condition is.

After all, it is quite possible that cough is a symptom of heart, vascular or respiratory disease.

Such pathologies must be treated at the initial stage of development to avoid complications.

If a night cough occurs due to illness, then the patient must undergo a course of therapy, the action of which is aimed at destroying the causative agent of the pathological process. A person will need to change jobs if his attacks are triggered by inhaling toxic substances.

When there is no possibility of leaving for another place of activity, you should take care of protecting your body. When performing work tasks, it is imperative to wear masks, gloves and a respirator.

If the patient intends to take medications that can relieve coughing at night, then first he should consult a doctor about this issue.

The specialist will not only suggest the optimal drug for treatment, but also select its correct dosage.

You need to understand that evening and night cough is not always a sign of the development of a dangerous disease. But if a person does not see obvious abnormalities that can cause this symptom, then it is still undesirable to delay a visit to a specialist.

A cough that makes itself felt before bedtime causes serious discomfort in people. Therefore, it is not surprising that many who are faced with such a problem want to get rid of it as soon as possible. However, self-medication in this case may not only not bring a positive result, but also worsen the general condition of the patient.

This ailment requires adequate therapy. And only an experienced doctor can prescribe it.

Cough in an adult is not a disease in itself. He's just a symptom. Its appearance may indicate that the body is fighting an infection. It happens both during the day and at night. Sometimes a person feels fine during the day, but at night cannot sleep due to severe coughing attacks. It can be triggered by the onset of colds, and a person in a horizontal position cannot completely clear his throat. At night, all processes slow down in people. The mucus does not dissolve, but accumulates, and this causes bubbling.

Intended for illness, severe nocturnal coughing in an adult

It performs a protective function of the body, which appears as a result of a disease or the presence of a foreign body inside the human respiratory tract. It manifests itself in the form of jerky exhalations, which help remove infection or phlegm. Puffing helps to cleanse the bronchi and protects the patient from suffocation. The sudden onset of a cough may indicate that a foreign body has entered the body, and if it does not come out on its own, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Prolonged attacks lasting for two weeks mean that the cough is acute, and if there is a protracted version - more than two months, it means that it has become chronic.

A nighttime cough that does not recur during the day may indicate a serious illness. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately establish a diagnosis and carry out treatment according to it. It may turn out to be caused by an allergic reaction to bedding. For example, down in a pillow. And then, when it is replaced, the night phenomenon will also pass.

A cough begins when the mucous membranes of the respiratory organs are irritated. After removing the cause of their occurrence, the bubbling will go away. And in order to figure out which of them caused it, you must first decide on the type of cough. It can be unproductive and wet.

Why does a dry cough appear at night?

This type of bubbling is fraught with danger in itself. At night, bouts of unproductive coughing can lead to apnea. And the process of coughing itself brings unpleasant sensations, accompanied by nausea, shortness of breath, and sometimes suffocation.

The reason for this may be:

obstructive bronchitis;
damage to the pleura due to tuberculosis;
bronchial asthma;
heart failure;
problems in the field of gastroenterology;
pneumonia;

respiratory chlamydia and mycoplasmosis;
whooping cough;
allergy.

The negative impact on the body of the latter can lead to suffocation, which occurs due to lack of oxygen and often ends in loss of consciousness. This often occurs in people with asthma. Its causative agents can be everything around: dust, fluff, plant pollen or insect bites.

A night cough with cardiac dysfunction is accompanied by shortness of breath, as well as an accelerated heartbeat. If it is associated with a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, then its attacks will be caused by irritation of the nerve endings of the esophagus and the membranes of the respiratory tract, which may contain acidic contents of the stomach.

Also, the appearance of a cough can be affected by dry air in the room where a person sleeps. Then you need to purchase a special humidifier to prevent this from happening again.

If the cause is cardiovascular diseases, then they may be accompanied by shortness of breath, and the nasolabial triangle will acquire a bluish tint.

The appearance of a night cough can also be caused by the localization of malignant neoplasms or pulmonary tuberculosis. Due to the ingress of foreign bodies in the form of coarse dust or grains that lodge in the throat and begin to affect its mucous membranes. It can be caused by dilatation of the aorta or enlargement of the lymph nodes.

If a cough with mucus is the only symptom that is not accompanied by anything, then this indicates an inflammatory process in the lungs or tuberculosis.

Video

The video explains how to properly treat a cough.

The acute form often occurs against the background of acute respiratory infections. Protracted may indicate whooping cough, rhinitis or sinusitis. A prolonged wet cough at night should be treated only as prescribed by a doctor; this is not the case when its treatment can be delayed. A qualified specialist will tell you in detail why the cough appears only at night and will prescribe an individual course of therapy. You might also be interested in how to treat a cough.

Even knowing the cause of its occurrence, you do not need to make a final diagnosis yourself. It is better to leave this to doctors who, after following the diagnostic algorithm: examination, tests, x-rays and endoscopic examination, will be able to prescribe what is needed. If it is completed on time, then the consequences in the form of complications will bypass. You can read about the causes of night cough in a child.

A cough often occurs as an attack in the evening when you lie down in bed, this is due to the fact that in the usual position the mucus flows down and does not irritate, but when we lie down it flows down the back wall of the throat and begins to irritate it and a cough appears. Also, the sputum that is in the lungs is less absorbed, and the lungs themselves receive less blood supply.

If a person has a strong and prolonged cough at night, this is a bad sign and a serious illness may develop.

An increase in cough in the evening, closer to night, can be explained by a decrease in body activity, a slowdown of all processes, including blood circulation, which leads to slower resorption of sputum. As a result, mucus accumulates, affects the nerve endings, and this intensifies the cough - the body's desire to get rid of this phlegm.

If you are not sick and you have a cough closer to night, this is a reason to think: is there a hidden form of the disease here? It can be:

croup (paroxysmal cough, heavy breathing),
problems with acidity (disruption of digestive processes due to the body taking a lying position),
asthma or obstructive bronchitis (together with wheezing),
whooping cough (infection),
chronic sinusitis or rhinitis,
heart problems.

When a person’s body takes a lying position, it is difficult for the body to absorb mucus (blood circulation becomes difficult in a lying position). Phlegm clogs the nasopharynx and provokes a reflex action to get rid of the accumulated phlegm - you want to cough.

In addition, the environment also influences: in the evening the air becomes cooler and drier than during the day. This causes the mucous membrane to become irritated and a coughing reflex appears.

To calm your cough, drink a glass of warm milk, you can add a little soda or honey.

Humidify the air.

All day we walk and run here and there

We breathe and inhale different types of dust, unnoticed by ourselves

And in the evening it gets colder, my throat is clogged with dust particles

So the cough gets worse - in the evening we lie down and rest

In such cases, you need to drink a glass of tea with lemon and everything will pass.

And everyone writes it may be, but it may not be. It turns out there is no exact answer and any version can be considered. I think everything is much simpler. During the day we do something: hum, swallow, talk. And this has its effects. But when they have settled down and calmed down, then all the infection begins to irritate the throat. After all, having swallowed something, the cough subsides a little.

Any cough is the cause of respiratory tract disease. If the cough bothers you during the day and gets worse in the evening, then bronchial disease or pneumonia is possible. If the cough intensifies when taking a horizontal position, then the reason is the vagus nerve, which irritates the upper respiratory tract. Another reason is that mucus moves downward and also causes irritation.

Cough- one of the most common respiratory diseases. It is the body's reaction to substances accumulated in the respiratory tract. When the respiratory system is affected by an infection, or the mucous membrane is irritated, an excess amount of mucus is formed, which is removed from the body by coughing.

More often increased cough in people suffering from asthma, respiratory diseases, and allergies, it occurs at night. In the morning, the cough most often worsens in smokers. As for evening time, then a significant increase in cough intensity closer to the night is most likely associated with cardiovascular pathology.

Any type of cough requires serious attention and treatment. Therefore, at the first signals from your body in the form of this protective reaction, you should definitely consult a doctor.

If a cough occurs precisely when going to bed, then this is due to the adoption of a horizontal position, which facilitates reflux. And if the cough does not occur in a horizontal position, then it may be an allergy to something that appears only in the evening. Well, the vagus nerve plays a role.

Vagus nerve activity increases in the evening

In general, this occurs due to a decrease in the resistance of our body. In the evening, according to the biological clock, our motor potential drops, as does the production of many substances that kept it in fighting condition during the day. For example, due to the lack of daylight, less melatonin is produced and because of this the body is already preparing for sleep, even if we are not sleeping, it still resists much weaker than at the daytime peak. Therefore, at night, not only the cough, but also other ailments worsen.

When I had a cold, my cough also bothered me more in the evening, sometimes I couldn’t even sleep at night, the cough just wouldn’t let me go. Everything went away when the doctor recommended inhalation. I did it through a nebulizer and added Prospan drops with ivy extract. The long-awaited relief came two days later. The cough did not bother me at night, and after 6 days it was completely gone.

During the day, when our body is in an upright position, phlegm, obeying the force of gravity, is at the bottom. When taking a horizontal position, sputum can simply spread, closing the respiratory passages. What causes irritation of nerve endings and reflex muscle contraction to clear the airways - cough.

The cause of cough in the evening, namely when taking a horizontal position, can arise from the vagus nerve, the endings of which are located in the upper respiratory tract, as well as accumulated phlegm in the bronchi, which shift when changing body position and, accordingly, a cough occurs.

In the first case, you will most likely have a dry cough; you should definitely consult a doctor, as this may be a sign of a terrible disease.

In the second case, it is necessary to get rid of phlegm in the lungs, you need to take phlegm-thinning drugs.

For me, such a cough usually occurs when I have a sore throat, when the mucous membrane is inflamed and when I take a lying position, saliva and mucus begin to flow from the nasal cavity, respectively irritating it and this becomes the cause of the cough.

Why cough gets worse at night is a question that worries many people, since when this disorder appears, a person is not able to rest and sleep properly.

A night cough is, of course, one of the most unpleasant phenomena that interferes with normal and healthy sleep not only for those who are sick, but also for everyone close to them. From constant lack of sleep, a person becomes irritable and nervous. At night, all biological processes slow down, resulting in poor blood circulation in the body. As a result, the sputum is not completely absorbed, and mucus accumulates in the bronchi and lungs.

Also, the cause of a nightly “nightmare” may be reflux - the reflux of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus, which irritates the mucous membranes and respiratory tract. Also, changes in air temperature and humidity can lead to increased coughing at night.

In any case, cough is only a symptom, so it is necessary to look for the cause of its occurrence. Under no circumstances should you delay self-medication. It is necessary to be examined by a highly qualified specialist and strictly follow his recommendations. Traditional methods can only be of an auxiliary nature to the main drug treatment.

Causes of cough

The most common reasons why cough occurs and worsens at night in an adult are the following:

Acid reflux. As a rule, it occurs due to digestive processes when taking a horizontal position at night.
Upper respiratory tract diseases caused by infections. These include all groups of ARVI, whooping cough, bronchitis and others.
Bronchial asthma. Currently, more than 250 million people worldwide suffer from this disease. One of the signs of asthma is a dry cough that periodically gets worse, as well as heavy breathing or shortness of breath with minor physical exertion.
Smoking. A smoker's cough can appear not only after sleep or during the day, but also at night.
Insufficient air humidity, as well as dust in the room in which a person sleeps, can cause a night cough.
Allergic reactions that can be caused by microscopic mites that develop in pillows made of natural materials (down, feathers).
Heart failure. Coughing at night occurs as a result of blood plasma entering the alveolar sacs through the wall of the arterioles. In many cases with chronic heart failure, chronic bronchitis develops.

The reason why a child’s cough gets worse at night could be any of the above. But if a child coughs only at night at the same time, this may indicate that the child’s lungs are underdeveloped. This phenomenon is typical for children aged 4 to 5 years and is characterized by the fact that the respiratory organ does not correspond to the development of the body and cannot cope with stress. There is nothing wrong with this phenomenon; it goes away on its own over time.

How is cough treated with bronchitis?

Recently, the number of patients diagnosed with bronchitis has increased. This is one of the common reasons for seeking medical help. This disease is caused by viral and bacterial infections, often transmitted by airborne droplets. The disease is accompanied by a severe cough, sputum production and a significant increase in body temperature. More often it affects people who live in cold areas with high humidity.

Important! Often with bronchitis, the cough worsens at night, as well as in the morning after waking up.

At the same time, there are two main forms of this disease: primary, which affects the nasopharynx, larynx and trachea, and secondary, as a consequence of other diseases: whooping cough, influenza, tuberculosis and others. Self-medication for this disease is extremely dangerous, since bronchitis can very quickly develop into pneumonia. Treatment is medicinal, using antibiotics. In this case, you need to drink plenty of fluids; it is best to use breastfeeding. The following may be the basic rules for preventing bronchitis:

Don't smoke and avoid secondhand smoke.
Avoid exercise during bad weather.
Try to avoid dusty rooms.

It is also very important to talk about what pneumonia is. Unfortunately, 4.2 million people worldwide die from pneumonia every year.

Treatment of cough with pneumonia

The causes of its development can be various viral infections, inflammation of the lower respiratory tract occurs. The risk of contracting pneumonia is higher in people with:

Diseases of the kidneys, heart, lungs.
Various oncological diseases.
Epilepsy and other diseases of the central nervous system.
Over 60 years of age.
Immunodeficiency.

People who are undergoing general anesthesia or who have received artificial ventilation are also at risk.

Attention! Pneumonia is accompanied by high body temperature (up to 38-39.5 degrees), wet cough, sometimes chest pain, shortness of breath even at rest.

The basis of treatment for pneumonia is antibiotics, expectorants and bronchodilators.

Treatment of cough with whooping cough

Well, let’s not forget about such a disease as whooping cough. This is one of the most common and dangerous diseases among children. This infectious disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. Whooping cough is characterized by attacks of dry cough when body temperature rises to 37.5-39 degrees. It occurs in three stages. At the same time, the initial signs of whooping cough are very similar to the signs of a common cold: malaise, nasal congestion and discharge of clear mucus, fever. The second stage is characterized by the appearance of a typical whooping cough. Often, many parents do not understand why whooping cough in children worsens at night. The answer is simple: at night, sputum stagnates and thickens, which provokes its appearance. In particularly severe cases, prolonged attacks can result in vomiting, hemorrhages in the sclera of the eyes and nasal hemorrhages, and the appearance of umbilical hernias. There are also possible risks of complications: if treated carelessly, whooping cough can smoothly turn into bronchitis, pneumonia, and encephalopathy. Therefore, a correct diagnosis and immediate treatment are very important. The third stage is recovery, which is characterized by a decrease in coughing attacks, improved sleep and appetite.

Cough due to an infectious-inflammatory process in the larynx

Very common in children and cereals, especially under three years of age. It develops on the basis of an infectious-inflammatory disease of the larynx. Croup is characterized by a severe barking cough (especially at night), sometimes nausea, with a general increase in temperature. The cough has a paroxysmal character, especially worse at night; in especially severe cases, problems arise with breathing oxygen. Croup can only be determined by a doctor when examining the larynx. During treatment, hormonal drugs are used, and drinking plenty of fluids is also recommended. An excellent way to prevent croup is walking in the fresh air. As a result of walking, the child’s respiratory function improves and the immune system is strengthened.

And, of course, often the cause of a cough is a common cold or ARVI. Moreover, one of the first symptoms of a simple cold or ARVI is a dry or wet cough. It occurs due to inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract. Sometimes there may be a build-up of mucus, which becomes more irritating during sleep, which is why coughs get worse at night when you have a cold.

Important! You can easily overcome a common cold or ARVI on your own, the main thing is to protect yourself from heavy physical activity, ensure high humidity in the room and drink plenty of fluids.

But if symptoms persist for more than two weeks, consult a doctor immediately.

The use of folk remedies in the treatment of cough

If the patient feels normal, and his illness is limited only to a cough and runny nose, then the following folk remedies will help get rid of it.

Warm milk. An excellent treatment for colds and coughs when combined with other ingredients. The most popular and effective is milk with honey. It beneficially soothes and softens an irritated throat. You can also add a pinch of soda or a little butter to this drink. For a speedy recovery, it is recommended to drink at least 2 cups of warm milk a day. There are other recipes for making drinks. For example, milk with sage. To prepare you will need 200 grams of milk and 1 tablespoon of sage. Mix these ingredients, bring to a boil, then turn off and add a little butter. Strain the milk and add honey if desired. This drink softens coughs and is best drunk at night. There are also options for adding garlic, onions, and if you don’t like their smell, then add ground or a whole piece of ginger root. In terms of its healing properties, it is similar to garlic and onions, and itself gives a slightly bitter tint.

A mixture of lemon, glycerin and honey. Bring the water to a boil, throw in the lemon, pierced with a fork in advance, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Then cool it, cut it in half and squeeze the juice into a container. Add 25 grams of pharmaceutical food grade glycerin to this juice. Also add honey and mix everything. The mixture should be consumed 3 times a day, one tablespoon before meals.
Aloe juice with honey. Freshly squeezed aloe juice is used. Take the pre-washed middle leaf and crumble it over a cup so that the juice gets into it. Add a little honey and stir well. Adults need to use 1 tablespoon per day, children – at least 3 times a day.
Inhalations. For inhalations, the traditional remedy is potatoes. It can also be used as a heat compress. Boil the potatoes in their jackets, then place the pan with the potatoes on the table, lean over it, covered with a towel, and inhale the vapors for 5-7 minutes. Also, a good remedy for fighting colds and coughs is eucalyptus oil. Add 3-4 drops of oil and a pinch of soda to boiling water. It is advisable to inhale the vapor for at least 5 minutes. But remember safety precautions and be careful!