Periodic cleaning of the bronchi and lungs is a normal reaction of the body to the ingress of dust in them and the accumulation of various stimuli. An alarming symptom is an obsessive cough at night in an adult - the causes of this condition can be harmless, but more often this sign indicates pathological processes in the airways.
Physiological causes of dry cough at night in an adult
Bronchi all the time allocate a small amount of secret, necessary to protect the respiratory organs from the penetration of viruses and pathogenic bacteria.
In the daytime, when a person is active and moves a lot, this liquid is distributed evenly, and its excess dissipates without a trace. At night, all processes in the body slow down, so excreting sputum is difficult. In addition, the horizontal position of the body contributes to its accumulation in the airways. Therefore, an easy and infrequent night coughing is quite a normal phenomenon, allowing to clear lungs and bronchi from excess secret.
Another physiological reason for the symptom in question is the improper humidity in the bedroom. If the air is too dry or oversaturated with water molecules, it can provoke irritation of the airways. To solve this problem, it is enough to buy a humidifier or to ventilate the room more often.
Causes of severe cough at night in an adult
When the described phenomenon arises regularly and is characterized by intensive attacks, a pathological process takes place. It can be associated with diseases of the respiratory system or occur in other organs.
In the first case, the causes of coughing most often are such diseases:
- acute or chronic bronchitis;
- whooping cough;
- tracheitis;
- sinusitis;
- emphysema of the lungs;
- pharyngitis;
- ARVI;
- foreign body in the respiratory tract;
- pneumonia;
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
- laryngitis;
- rhinitis;
- pleurisy ;
- open or closed tuberculosis;
- abscess of the lung;
- benign or malignant tumors of the respiratory tract;
- inflammation of adenoids.
These pathologies can be accompanied by the separation of a different amount of sputum, by its color, abundance and consistency, the doctor usually draws conclusions about a preliminary diagnosis.
It is worth noting that the causes of attacks of severe dry or productive cough at night in an adult are not always associated with respiratory diseases. The symptom in question often indicates violations of the functioning of other organs and systems:
- allergic reaction;
- reflux esophagitis ;
- trauma, paralysis or inflammation of the vocal cords;
- gastritis;
- diseases of the heart muscle;
- pathology of the liver and biliary tract;
- metastases in the lungs;
- Thyroid gland diseases.
Also, an attack can occur against the background of irritation of the respiratory system by cigarette smoke, thermal, chemical and mechanical factors. After their elimination, unpleasant symptoms will disappear.
Treatment of the causes of cough at night in an adult
To conduct adequate therapy of the described pathology, it is necessary to find out its true cause. It is impossible to establish the diagnosis independently, as this requires careful laboratory, instrumental and radiological studies, not only respiratory, but also digestive, endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
- pulmonologist;
- gastroenterologist;
- endocrinologist;
- otolaryngologist;
- allergist;
- hepatologist.