Coughing might seem like something harmless, right? For the most part, coughing is usually harmless, since it’s just a way for our body to remove foreign objects from your throat. But there’s going to be different times of the day when coughing can be an annoyance. If you’re sleeping, this might disturb your sleeping cycle. If you’re at work, coughing might cause your co-workers to be worried, and this might get you a one-way ticket to the office clinic.
Coughing in public places might get you unwanted attention, especially when people are vigilant in keeping themselves healthy. Since we want to get through our week without any problems, it’s only rational to keep ourselves clean and healthy.
If you have been experiencing uncontrollable coughing, you shouldn’t be flustered. There are different reasons we’re coughing; most of the time, this is caused by allergens, side effects of eating spicy food, the common cold, or environmental factors that we’re not used to.
What Causes It?
If you’re going to ask a medical practitioner what’s causing your coughing, they’ll say “It depends.” because coughing is such a broad symptom that it can be caused by almost anything.
If you look up the symptoms of almost any type of physiological disease, coughing will always be there. Whether it’s the common cold, tuberculosis, allergic reactions, flu, and pneumonia, coughing has always been a symptom. It’s so common that it’s hard to pinpoint what it is unless you know other symptoms.
Usually, uncontrollable coughing is caused by the following:
- Allergens
- Accumulation of mucus on your throat
- Asthma can lead to the build-up of mucus
- Acid reflux can irritate your esophagus and much of your throat, which can lead to coughing (and vomiting)
- Second-hand smoke and direct smoking can irritate your throat and lungs.
- Debris such as dust and particles in the air can irritate your throat and nostrils.
But if you’re in doubt, it’s essential to consult a certified medical professional that can narrow down the problem. Self-diagnosis, even when it comes to something as simple as a cough, can cause more harm than good.
However, most people will hastily assume that they’ve contracted something that might be detrimental to their overall long-term health, but this isn’t always the case.
Treating Your Coughing
So you shouldn’t be worried, since mere cough doesn’t necessarily mean that you just contracted a dangerous disease. Instead, let’s focus on how we can stop ourselves from coughing uncontrollably. Fortunately, there’s a multitude of ways of controlling your coughing.
Removing Catalysts
Again, allergens are usually the leading causes of sneezing and coughing. If this is the case, then you here are effective ways of a removing these allergens from your household:
- You’ll have to change the fabric of your beddings. Most of the time, pet dander, bacteria, insect sheddings, molds, and even virulent agents can stay in the fabric’s surface for a long time. You might have to use warm water to wash these types of material. If you’re having problems with your water heating, you can always contact water heater repair services to help get it going.
- Get a vacuum that uses a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration system. Once you are finished vacuuming, safely dispose of the filter.
- Throw away unnecessary documents, magazines, and other reading materials that collect dust.
- Right after cleaning and dusting your area, take a bath to remove any dust and particles that have accumulated on your body.
Humidifiers and Air Purifiers
Typically, a humidifier is needed for areas that have dry air. That usually happens in rooms, cars, and planes that are air-conditioned. Humidity that goes below 30% is considered dry, and this can generally cause coughing.
To alleviate the level of humidity in your area, you might have to buy a mist humidifier.
Most maintenance personnel would suggest just having the right amount of humidity since too much moisture can lead to the growth of molds in structures. It’s important to note that spores from molds are also allergens.
Herbal Remedies
Lastly, herbal remedies have been used for thousands of years to treat ailments. Some useful herbs against coughing include:
- Cinnamon
- Eucalyptus
- Thyme
- Cypress
- Peppermint
- Lavender
It’s best to consult your physician first before taking these herbs. You might be allergic to a specific plant, and the last thing that you need is your throat swelling up from an allergic reaction.
There are a wide plethora of preventive measures when it comes to uncontrollable coughing. But prevention is always a better choice than having to remedy an ailment. Therefore, it’s only rational to exercise a healthy lifestyle, avoid allergens, and practice good personal hygiene.
