Nocturnal cough can be caused by illnesses like colds, allergies, asthma, and bacterial infections, as well as specific medications and conditions like GERD and CHF. Sinus and airway congestion, dry air, and exposure to allergens can also worsen coughing at night. Croup and whooping cough are infections that can cause nighttime coughing in children. Allergic conditions can also cause nighttime coughing. In some cases, nighttime coughing may be caused by certain medications used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure.
There are numerous causes of nocturnal cough. Many of these can cause daytime coughing, but the most common causes of nighttime coughing are illnesses such as colds, viruses, allergies, asthma, and bacterial infections of the respiratory tract and sinuses. Some diseases or conditions in these groups are associated with worsening cough at night. Other factors that can trigger nighttime cough include specific medications or diseases such as gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) and congestive heart failure (CHF).
Any type of severe sinus or airway congestion could cause your cough to worsen at night. Lying down makes it difficult for phlegm to drain, and mucus can build up in the throat, stimulating a nighttime cough. Other factors like dry air or exposure to household allergens can also cause more coughing. Elevating the head slightly with an extra pillow for adults or a pillow under the mattress for children can help with gravity-related coughing issues, and using humidifiers and trying to reduce allergens in a home could improve humidity or cough caused by allergies.
Some infections are particularly known for making coughs worse, and both occur more commonly in children. Croup, which can occur with many virus or bacterial infections, causes a barking, seal-like cough that can begin a few hours after a child goes to bed. Whooping cough or whooping cough also tends to get worse at night. These conditions improve with time and the rump may respond favorably to a wetter environment.
Allergic conditions can often cause a nocturnal cough that doesn’t occur much during the day. This is explained by the fact that many people are allergic to things in their home and, after being out all day, they come home from exposure to allergens that cause sinus problems. By the time they’re ready for bed, their sinuses and airways can become very irritated, creating a nighttime cough. On the other hand, when people leave home for the day, symptoms improve. Asthma, which may or may not be caused by an allergy, is another condition that could be characterized by a nighttime cough.
Sometimes nighttime cough is not related to viruses, bacterial infections, allergies, or asthma. GERD is an additional offender that causes stomach acid to back up into the esophagus. This irritation can create a constant runny nose and in some people cause a cough that gets worse at night, due in part to the severity. Congestive heart failure, in which heart function is impaired, has a cough that worsens when lying down as its primary symptom. When there’s no clear cause for a cough, people should get medical help to rule out conditions like asthma, GERD, and CHF.
Another cause of night cough is certain medications used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure. In particular, ACE inhibitors such as captopril, lisinopril and enalapril often cause a cough that may be more active at night. If this interferes with sleep, there are other antihypertensives that could be tried.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
