A wet cough is a common symptom of respiratory infection, allergies, and heart conditions. The medical term for a wet cough is productive cough.
Can allergies make you cough up phlegm?
Mucus associated with allergens tends to be more watery than the mucus your body produces when you aren’t sick or experiencing allergies. This watery mucus drips out of your nose and down your throat. This “tickles” the throat and leads to a hay fever cough.
How do you know if your cough is from allergies?
If your cough comes on every time you are in certain places, or around certain things, and subsides quickly when you move away, it is most likely an allergy. And, if you have more severe coughing spells, which come and go, and are more serious when you are physically active, you may have asthma.
How do you get rid of an allergy cough?
Home remedies
- hot tea with lemon or honey.
- hot soup.
- tonic made from hot water, lemon juice, honey, and cayenne pepper.
- ginger tea.
- throat lozenges or hard candies.
- drinking more water.
- avoiding caffeine.
- using a humidifier to keep the air from becoming too dry.
What is a productive cough a sign of?
A wet, productive cough produces sputum (phlegm or mucus from the lungs or sinuses). The cough sounds soupy and may come with a wheezing or rattling sound and tightness in your chest. Most wet coughs are caused by an infection: a common cold, the flu, bronchitis, or pneumonia.
Should you spit out phlegm?
If your mucus is dry and you are having trouble coughing it up, you can do things like take a steamy shower or use a humidifier to wet and loosen the mucus. When you do cough up phlegm (another word for mucus) from your chest, Dr. Boucher says it really doesn’t matter if you spit it out or swallow it.
How do I know if I have mucus in my lungs or sinuses?
Mucus and phlegm are similar, yet different:
- Mucus is a thinner secretion from your nose and sinuses.
- Phlegm is thicker and is made by your throat and lungs.
Can antihistamines help with a cough?
For your everyday cough from a common cold, a good choice is cough medication that contains an older antihistamine and a decongestant. Older antihistamines include brompheniramine, diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine.
Can allergies cause a cough that won’t go away?
Some other causes of an ongoing cough include: Chronic allergies, hyperactive gag reflex, and acid reflux can create a prolonged irritation in your throat and cause an ongoing cough.
How long does an allergy cough last?
Common traits of a hay fever cough include: a duration of longer than 2 weeks. a continual or unrelenting urge to cough. relief with the use of antihistamines or decongestants.
What is the best medicine for cough allergy?
Robitussin Allergy & Cough is a combination medicine used to treat cough, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itching, and watery eyes caused by allergies, the common cold, or the flu. Robitussin Allergy & Cough will not treat a cough that is caused by smoking, asthma, or emphysema.
What to Do When You Can’t stop coughing?
How to stop coughing at night
- Incline the head of your bed. …
- Use a humidifier. …
- Try honey. …
- Tackle your GERD. …
- Use air filters and allergy-proof your bedroom. …
- Prevent cockroaches. …
- Seek treatment for a sinus infection. …
- Rest and take decongestants for a cold.
Do Antihistamines dry up mucus?
When they dry out mucus, they can actually thicken it. Newer antihistamines like loratadine (Claritin, Alavert), fexofenadine (Allegra), cetirizine (Zyrtec), levocetirizine (Xyzal), and desloratadine (Clarinex), may be better options and are less likely to cause drowsiness.
When should I be concerned about a productive cough?
Consult a doctor if your cough has been going on for more than two weeks. You may need immediate medical attention if you’re having trouble breathing or coughing up blood, or notice a bluish skin tone. Mucus with a foul smell can also be a sign of a more serious infection.
How long does productive cough last?
Symptoms, including a cough, usually resolve in less than 3 weeks. Sometimes, bronchitis can become chronic. In these cases, a daily productive cough can persist for 3 months and may come back year after year.
What is the fastest way to get rid of a phlegm cough?
Home remedies for mucus in the chest
- Warm fluids. Hot beverages can provide immediate and sustained relief from a mucus buildup in the chest. …
- Steam. Keeping the air moist can loosen mucus and reduce congestion and coughing. …
- Saltwater. …
- Honey. …
- Foods and herbs. …
- Essential oils. …
- Elevate the head. …
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC)