Coughing can happen to anyone at any time. You can have an occasional cough due to allergies or a chronic cough such as smoker's cough. Sometimes, you can also experience a fairly frequent morning cough, especially when you wake up. What causes coughing in the morning? Check out the review in the following article.

Causes of Morning Cough

Many things can cause a cough in the morning. Coughing is the body's natural reflex to clear the respiratory system of irritants. Usually, this type of cough is not a sign of a serious medical condition. But if you always have a cough in the morning, you need to be aware that it may indicate an unrecognized health problem.

During sleep, phlegm and other irritants can collect in the lungs and throat. When you start being active in the morning, the phlegm starts to break up and can trigger a cough. A cough that produces phlegm is called a wet cough or productive cough. Conversely, a cough that does not produce phlegm is called a dry or unproductive cough. Knowing the type of cough you have can help you figure out the cause.

Some of the causes of morning coughs include:

Cold or flu

Most of the causes of a cold in the morning are colds or flu. Usually, coughing due to a cold or flu is felt the worst in the morning due to the accumulation of phlegm at night. Some of the symptoms of coughing due to flu include sore throat, body aches or fatigue, and headaches. sneezing and runny nose.

Asthma

Asthma occurs due to swelling and narrowing of the airways. In cough-variant asthma, a severe cough is the most common symptom and can be either a wet or dry cough. The cough is often worse at night or in the morning. Other asthma symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness or pain.

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Alergies

Coughing in the morning can be caused by allergens such as pollen, dust mites or pet dander. Coughing due to allergies will subside as soon as you avoid exposure to allergies. Some allergy symptoms that can also appear include dry cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, wheezing, shortness of breath, watery eyes, and headache.

GERD

Chronic coughing can also be caused by GERD, which is the rise of stomach acid into the throat. Symptoms of coughing due to GERD include chronic coughing, burning in the chest, especially after eating, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, and a feeling that something is stuck in the throat.

GERD commonly causes coughing after meals and when lying down. Some people with GERD may realize their cough is worse in the morning after spending the night lying in bed. To prevent this, you can prop your head higher when sleeping and avoid eating foods that trigger a rise in stomach acid at night.

COPD

COPD is a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe. Other symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, frequent pain and fatigue. COPD symptoms can appear at any time of the day, but mainly in the morning.

In addition to the above causes, coughing in the morning can also be caused by other health problems such as sinusitis, thyroid disease, dry mouth and taking medications to lower high blood pressure.

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Natural Ways to Relieve Cough

Some natural remedies can relieve coughing, for example:

• Drink honey or warm ginger
• Drink warm beverages
• Inhaling hot vapor or steam
• Gargle salt water
• Eat healthy food
• Routinely exercise

To relieve cough due to other health problems such as COPD or GERD, you should consult a doctor. The doctor may recommend medications to relieve the symptoms.

Coughing in the morning doesn't always mean danger; however, if you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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