Having a dry and persistent cough can be irritating and inconvenient – you might even find that it leaves you with a sore throat and muscle pain if it’s particularly stubborn. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to relieve dry coughs, and in some cases stop them completely.
1. Steam
Steam is one of the fastest and easiest ways to help relieve a dry cough. If you’re able to, taking a hot shower will probably generate enough steam to offer at least temporary relief, but if your cough is particularly bad you might want to try a steam ‘bath’. This involves filling a bowl or sink with near boiling water, then creating a ‘tent’ by placing a towel over your head and leaning over the sink. You might find it helpful to add a couple of drops of essential oil (such as menthol or eucalyptus) to the water.
2. Environment
It’s possible that your cough is being triggered by the environment that you live or work in – if your home or office is dusty, damp or dry, it could be affecting your lungs. If you think that dust is the cause, try to remove it using a vacuum cleaner (dusting might actually make the situation worse, as there’s a chance that you will inhale dust particles as you clean). Damp or dry air is a slightly tougher challenge, but could also be easily remedied by opening a window or two. If this isn’t possible, you might want to try investing in an air purifier or humidifier.
3. Lozenges or Other Over the Counter Medication
There are a huge variety of medications available now to help treat and relieve dry coughs – if you’re unsure which will work best for you, it’s probably worth speaking to your pharmacist for advice. In a pinch, there is some evidence to show that just sucking on a plain old fashioned boiled sweet will help to a degree, but it’s definitely better to look for a lozenge that contains menthol, eucalyptus or honey as all of these ingredients are known to help alleviate the symptoms of dry coughs.
4. Hydration
Ensuring that you are properly hydrated is something that is often overlooked when dealing with dry coughing. Particularly if a cough arrives as a symptom of a cold, simply making sure that you are drinking enough water can help to reduce the irritation that causes a cough in the first place. Most Doctors recommend that you drink 6-8 glasses of water a day (about a litre), but if you are suffering from a cold you may wish to increase this a little.
5. Stop Smoking
Quitting smoking will not only help to stop you coughing, but also comes with an almost endless list of health benefits. As well as increasing your life expectancy, you’ll be less at risk from a huge range of fatal diseases. Of course, it’s not easy to quit smoking – however, many people are finding that vaping is a huge help when giving up cigarettes. It’s important that you make sure that your vape and vape liquids are purchased from a reputable supplier such as Liquido24 – they have an impressive range of high-quality vapes and an enormous variety of e-Liquids to help you gently ease away from tobacco.