Dry cough
Generally speaking, a dry cough refers to a cough without coughing out phlegm or mucus. For that reason, it is also known as unproductive cough. A dry cough is usually accompanied by a dry and sore sensation in your throat. At the same time, you feel tickling in the airways and tightness in your chest.
When having a dry cough, you often find it becomes worse at night, making you impossible to sleep. It is largely because people reduce saliva production at night, resulting in a drier throat than during the day. In such circumstances, people are more likely to experience external irritants when inhaling air to the lungs. Thus an episode of coughing happens.
The causes of dry cough are various, and some common triggers include:
- Common cold (viral infection)
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Respiratory tract irritants such as dust, smoke, or air pollution, mold, pollen,
- Change in temperature [3]
