Respiratory Infections

A dry cough at night that occurs can cost you a night rest. It is a condition that is caused by a viral infection.  The condition is usually ruthless more so, if you are continuously coughing during the night, effectively ruining your sleeping pattern. Medical practitioners claim that any health problem that causes you to cough during the day will definitely result in your coughing at night. For example, the common cold can give rise to a variety of symptoms, including a dry coughs, which stay with you day and night until the infection resolves.

Can’t Stop Coughing at Night

Some of the causes making you to cough all day long are bad enough. However, they can as well keep you awake all night. A persistent dry cough that won’t go away at night can be so awful. This will means that you will have to be eye open, with sweat that come as a result of the cough. Moreover, the dry cough can take away all your energy whereby you become exhausted due to a continuous coughing from one after the other.
In case you are in this state whereby you can’t stop dry coughing at night, you need to take a quick action to solve the problem or else you will worsen up. There are some over the counter treatments or at home remedies that can help you relieve your condition. However, if you find no help in all these, it is important you visit your doctor for examination since you may be dealing with something more serious that you can imagine.

Coughing at Night Only

You may as well find yourself just a dry cough at night only and not during the day.  There are a number of reasons why cough symptoms get worse at night, or why you will only cough at night and during the day you are okay. Let us go through some of these reasons:

1. Gravity

A message from research findings states that the biggest reason why people cough more at night is because of gravity. The researchers say that, when we lie down, the gastroesophageal reflex kicks in because mucus automatically begins to pool. However, they provide solution by saying the best way to counteract this gravitational pull is elevation. You will have to sleep with a pillow propping you up a little bit, as it will help keep the mucus from collecting in the back of the throat.

2. A dry, indoor environment

While in your closed house at night, dry air can aggravate an already irritated nose and throat, making your nighttime cough worse. A humidifier can be used to put moisture back into the air and make it easier to breathe, but be sure to take proper care of the unit. Some experts warn that humidifiers are not safe if water put in it is not sterile. This will encourage the risk of cycling the germs back into air or breeding other diseases. To ensure you use a humidifier safely, be sure to follow all the directions that it comes with carefully.

3. Clearing congestion

You should be aware that when you have a dry cough at night, this is actually important in helping you get well. The coughing reflex helps keep your throat and airways clear. As annoying as it may be, that persistent cough is breaking up mucus and helping your body get well.

How to manage dry cough at night only

As it is clearly known that most coughs associated with colds and flu are beneficial for clearing congestion from your lungs and airways, however, sometimes you can get a dry, hacking cough with a lot of discomfort.  A dry cough that appears at night can make your airways, throat, and chest sore and keep you from getting much-needed rest. In case of this problem do the following:

• Try your best to drink a lot of fluids in the evening before you go to bed as they will help thin the mucus in your throat and make it easier to cough up.
• When you want to go for bed, suck on a cough drop or hard candy to soothe your throat and decrease the urge to cough.
• You can collect some best medicine formulated specifically for a dry cough from your pharmacist.
• If the cough lasts for more than 7 to 10 days you should run to your doctor for examination. Also, if your cough persists with nasal symptoms that improve but then get worse, your doctor should examine you for sinusitis. In that case, an antibiotic may be prescribed.
• A cough lasting longer than a week or two could be the result of another health condition, such as bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, reflux, asthma, or pneumonia, so getting a doctor’s input is crucial.

Am very sure if your case is not much worse (like TB), these tips will help you to get some quality rest. However, while coughing helps you get better from your problem, it is important to know what could have caused it. If the case is not resolving too soon, just go and be diagnosed by your doctor.

Dry Cough at Night Causes

This dry cough is usually associated with a tickly cough and can be caused by viral infections or allergies as we stated above. As research reveals, unlike a chesty cough, a dry cough does not produce any mucus and is therefore termed as ‘non-productive.’
It is known that dry cough is commonly caused by cold and flu viruses. It can also be triggered by atmospheric pollutants irritating your throat. In most of these situations, dry coughs occur because the back of your throat becomes irritated or inflamed, but may also arise from deeper in the chest.
Any cough can be a nuisance and this is particularly so if sleep is disturbed. A vicious cycle can develop – if one is tired, recovery from any infection or illness can take longer. The following are causes:

1. Cold and flu

This is a condition caused by viral infection. These coughs may occur at the start of the illness or more likely, appear towards the middle or the end of the infection, and may linger long after other symptoms have disappeared

2. Allergic reactions

This is also one of the most common causes of dry constant cough that night. Hay fever is allergy to grass and tree pollen, which causes irritation to the eyes and nose and when the throat is affected, a cough results. Sensitivity to other particles such as animal fur, known as allergic rhinitis, can also lead to the same symptom
Moreover, air pollutants can irritate the back of the throat causing a cough. This is the situation seen when non-smokers enter a smoky room

3. Acid reflux

Research shows that your cough can be as well as a result of acid reflux. Here, this happen when the acidic contents of the stomach travels upwards to the back of the throat. Then little amounts of acid may enter the upper respiratory tract, causing inflammation and dry cough at night. This is more likely to happen when one is lying down flat. Acid reflux is a prominent element of GORD or GERD (Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease).

4. Asthma

This is a chronic disease of the bronchioles and which is likely to attack young people. These small tubes transport air into the depths of the lungs and can become inflamed and narrowed as a result of a variety of factors, including an allergic tendency. Some of the early signs of asthma include coughing at night, coughing whilst exercising and a mild wheeze

5. Heart failure

This is a weakening of the heart’s ability to pump blood. As the heart struggles to move blood round the body, fluid builds up in tissues. In the lungs, the cough reflex is triggered in an attempt to rid the body of unwanted fluid. The situation is made worse when lying down as this posture allows fluid to accumulate more easily in the lungs. Heart failure and heart disease are the main causes of persistent coughing at night in those over 65 years of age

6. Sinusitis

The sinuses are small cavities lying within the cheekbone and forehead. Sinusitis is the condition which comes about when the lining of these cavities become infected and inflamed, giving rise to the main symptom of the feeling of a blocked nose. Mucus in the sinuses drains into the back of the nose and pharynx. When you lie down, excess mucus drips down into the back of your throat, irritates the tissues, triggering the dry cough at night reflex.

7. Some blood pressure drugs

ACE inhibitors can trigger a dry cough that won’t quit for some people. Some medicines, particularly those for high blood pressure, can result in a dry cough. If your doctor finds that one of these problems is causing your cough, you’ll need to treat that specific condition to find relief. Talk to your doctor about the best plan.

8. Lung problems and cancer

A persistent cough can also be a specific sign of lung problems, including lung cancer. For this case, it is important that you visit your doctor to confirm that it is cancer that causes a dry cough at night.

9. Whooping cough

This is a bacterial disease caused by Bordetella pertussis characterized by bouts of coughing followed by gasping of air in a distinctive ‘whoop’ sound. It is not as common as it used to be

10. TB – Tuberculosis

This is a highly infectious bacterial disease which primarily affects the lungs and results a dry cough at night as well. In the early stages, it gives rise to a persistent dry cough. TB was once thought to have become extinct throughout the World, but cases have increased recently because of a combination of drug resistance and lowered immune resistance.
Other causes of a dry cough include:

• Psychological conditions – this is when coughing has become a habit. It is also sometimes referred to as a psychogenic cough. There is no physical illness behind the cough and often the person does not even realize he or she is coughing. A feature of this type of cough is that it goes away when one is asleep
• Nerves and stress – many people cough when they are in a stressful situation. Breathing becomes shallow when you are anxious and this can trigger the cough reflex. Some people tend to be more anxious than others, and for them the ‘natural’ nervous cough can become a problem if they find themselves in uncomfortable situations. Often, the underlying problem will have to be addressed in order to cure the dry cough.

Home Remedies for Dry Cough at Night

If a dry cough has been denying you sleep all night long, it is a high time that you start thinking on ways to clear the problem. There are numerous ways you can find help to kick out that problem for good. You can visit you medical provider who will diagnose you find out what could have caused you that lingering dry cough all night. However, while you are at home, you may try some of these remedies as they can also relieve your condition as well.
Depending on what is causing you the cough, there are different remedies and lifestyle changes you can try to relieve or prevent nighttime coughing in both adults and children.

1. Incline the head of your bed

As we have learned above, acid reflux will get you in the night if your sleeping mode is not the right one. Moreover, it is easier that way for irritants to make their way to your throat to trigger a dry cough at night when you’re lying down. Avoid this by propping up some pillows to raise your head.

2. Use a humidifier

Dry, warm air can irritate your throat and airways. Some people also cough when they turn their heater on in the winter. This is due to the release of pollutants that built up in the heating ducts. A humidifier that produces a cool mist can help keep the air in your bedroom moist. This can keep your throat feeling better.

3. Try honey

Honey and a hot drink can help loosen mucus in your throat. Mix two teaspoons of honey into a caffeine-free tea, such as herbal tea, to drink before bed. You should never give honey to children younger than 1 year, however.

4. Tackle your GERD

Your sleeping position makes it easier for stomach acid to backflow into your esophagus. This condition is known as acid reflux. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic form of acid reflux and a common cause of nighttime coughing. But there are some lifestyle changes you can try to reduce a dry cough at night caused by GERD.
Also, avoid foods that trigger your GERD. Keep a food diary to help you figure out what these foods are if you’re not sure.

5. Use air filters and allergy-proof your bedroom

When your immune system overreacts to an allergen, allergy symptoms such as coughing can occur. Dust allergy is a common cause of cough, especially at night when you’re exposed to dust mites or pet dander on your bedding.

6. Prevent cockroaches

The saliva, feces, and body parts of cockroaches may cause dry cough at night and other allergy symptoms. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, cockroaches are a common cause of allergies and asthma attacks. Eliminate piles of newspapers and magazines that attract dust and give cockroaches places to hide. Also, use an exterminator to eliminate a severe cockroach infestation.

7. Seek treatment for a sinus infection

Stuffed-up sinuses or a sinus infection may cause postnasal drip, especially when lying down. Postnasal drip tickles the back of your throat and leads to coughing. If nighttime coughing is caused by a medical condition such as a sinus infection, it’s important to get treatment. You may need a prescription from your doctor for antibiotics.

8. Rest and take decongestants for a cold

Your coughs may be caused by the common cold. Your cough may worsen at night or when you lie down. Rest, chicken soup, fluids, and time are usually all it takes to beat a cold. Severe coughs due to a cold, however, may be treated with cough medication in adults and children older than 6 years. Decongestant sprays that help reduce postnasal drip may also be used in adults and children older than 6 years to reduce dry cough at night.

9. Manage asthma

Asthma causes airways to become narrow and inflamed. A dry cough is a common symptom of asthma. You may need a prescription inhaler to treat asthma.

10. Stop smoking

A chronic cough is a common side effect of long-term smoking. It’s not a quick fix, but if you’re a smoker, talks to your doctor about programs to help you kick the habit. Not only will your cough improve, your overall health will, too.

Home Remedies for Dry Cough for Kids

Medications carry a risk of serious side effects in this age group and may not be effective for young children. Fortunately, most coughs are caused by a virus and clear up on their own. If your child is suffering from a dry cough, there are some steps that you can take at home to nurse him back to health.

• Give your child plenty of liquids to drink. These can moisturize and soothe a sore, scratchy throat.
• Feed your child chicken soup that contains garlic. Research reveals that this combination carries antiviral properties, and your child may feel better faster.
• Offer your child cough drops or lozenges, but only if she is over the age of three. Before that, cough drops pose a choking hazard. Lozenges containing zinc may shorten the duration of her illness. Those containing menthol or eucalyptus can help to relieve a dry cough at night.
• Moisturize your child’s throat and nasal passages by putting her in a steamy bathroom or running a vaporizer. The moisture may calm down a dry, tickling throat and may reduce coughing.
• Give your child a teaspoon of honey. This honey works as well as over-the-counter cough suppressants at easing a cough. Mix the honey in a mug of herbal tea or warm water.

Home Remedies for Cough and Cold

There are plenty of treatments for nighttime coughs that can help. Most of the time, home remedies or over-the-counter (OTC) treatments can work wonders. But if those don’t help, your doctor can prescribe a stronger cough medicine that includes something to make you drowsy.
How to calm dry cough at night
Start with simple solutions to see if they stop the hacking:

• Use a humidifier to make the air moist, or breathe steam from a hot shower or tea kettle before bed.
• Raise your head up a bit with an extra pillow.
• Try a saline or saltwater nose spray.
• Swallow a teaspoon of honey. (Note: This is not for babies younger than 1 year old.)
• Sip warm tea or soup.
• Suck on menthol or honey lozenges before bedtime.

How to Stop Coughing at Night without Medicine

A persistent cough may feel tempted to head to the pharmacy and pick up a cough suppressant medication. Cough suppressants contain ingredients to stop you from coughing but rarely treat the underlying cause. Cough medications are typically not recommended for children under 4 and can cause side effects, such as dizziness, drowsiness and stomach upset. You can use natural remedies to get rid of your cough at home.

• Run a hot shower with the door closed. Sit or stand in the steam-filled room to help you naturally remedy your dry cough at night. Expose yourself to steam for a minimum of 20 minutes.
• Elevate your head when you sleep. Drain fluid away from your head by using an extra pillow or raising the headboard of your bed.
• Run a cool mist humidifier in your room. Oftentimes, coughs are worse at night and can make sleep difficult. A cool mist humidifier that uses cold water to operate can break up congestion to relieve your cough. Add a couple drops of eucalyptus oil to the humidifier to help you breathe easier.
• Drink a lot of water as we stated above.

More references

1. Soothe night time cough: http://symptoms.webmd.com/cold-flu-map/soothe-nighttime-cough
2. How to stop coughing at night: http://www.healthline.com/health/coughing-at-night
3. Reasons your cough get worse at night: http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/cold-and-flu-relief/nighttime-cough/

Sneezing is described as a way your body remove irritants from your nose or throat. A sneeze is a powerful, involuntary expulsion of air from within. This usually happens suddenly and without warning. Another name for sneezing is sternutation. While this symptom can be quite annoying, it is not usually the result of any serious health condition. Here is an insight on how to stop sneezing.
One part of your nose’s job is to clean the air you breathe; making sure it is free from dirt and bacteria. In numerous conditions, your nose traps this dirt contained in the air and bacteria in mucus. Your stomach then digests the mucus, which neutralizes any potentially harmful invaders.
During your normal breathing dirt and debris can enter your nose and irritate the sensitive mucous membranes inside your nose and throat. When these membranes become irritated, it causes you to sneeze in order to get rid of the foreign debris.

How to stop Sneezing Immediately

This condition is no big deal, when it’s a single occurrence. When it becomes frequent without stopping is when you need to take a step to seek medication. Let us take a look at why you may be sneezing and how over-the-counter medications can help to stop sneezing. There is no cure for this condition but these tips will help you stop sneezing so you can reclaim your nose immediately.

1. It will be very important that you avoid exposure to whatever is causing the allergic reaction.

• Change your furnace filters
• Don’t have pets in the house if you’re allergic to animal dander
• Travel to areas with low pollen counts
• Wash linens in very hot water to kill dust mites
• Vacuum and dust frequently

2. If dry air is irritating your mucus membrane, it can induce sneezing attacks. It’s often an issue in very dry climates or in other areas during wintertime when the radiator is constantly running. When that’s the case, using a good humidifier, especially at night, can help you stop sneezing.
3. On the other hand, too much moisture in the air can bother the sinuses and cause sneezing. A dehumidifier or air purifier can help clear the air and help you stop sneezing. If you detect a musty scent in your, it could be a sign you have mold. There are many causes of mold so be sure to get your house checked. In some cases, you may need to move out of a home with a mold spore problem.
4. Sneezing can often be a symptom of an illness like the cold or flu. Usually, sneezing will go away once you heal. If you are sick, take good care of yourself! Stay hydrated, get lots of rest, and try some powerful cold remedies.

How to Stop Sneezing and Runny Nose

A runny nose means that your nasal lining is producing excessive amounts of mucus. With various home remedies for runny nose and related symptoms the likes of nasal congestion, sneezing, and cough, you may however be able to get back your optimum health faster.
How to treat sneezing at home
Common cold is the main cause of most cases of runny nose. As a viral infection, common cold has no cure, but there are various remedies that you can use to improve and hasten the healing of runny nose and other symptoms associated with common cold including fever, sore throat, headache, and itchy eyes. Here are some of these runny nose remedies:

1. Saline nasal spray

A nasal spray made of salt can help to relieve runny nose and other symptoms that usually accompany it including congestion. Apart from aiding in thinning and flushing out of mucus and irritants, salt also helps to fight bacteria.
To make a saline nasal spray at home, simply mix a ¼ teaspoon of common salt with a glass of lukewarm water and then and administer it to your nostrils drop-wise using a small dropper. You can also add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to make the solution even more effective. After adding a few drops to each nostril, finish by blowing the nose gently to remove the excess solution.

2. Vapor rubs

This is one of those simple but very powerful home remedies for runny nose and congestion. Vapor rubs contain beneficial natural and synthetic ingredients that improve cold symptoms tremendously.

3. Okra

Recent research studies on okra have shown that it has greatly varied health benefits. The sticky substance in okra, called mucilage, has in particular been shown to relieve runny nose and sore throat. Wash a few okra pods, take out the seeds and then boil them for 10 minutes. Once the pods have cooled down, eat them and drink the water in which they boiled.

4. Lemon juice

Lemon juice also works wonders for runny nose. Other citrus fruits such as lime and orange are also beneficial. To prepare this remedy, squeeze some fresh lemons and pour the resulting juice into warm water before drinking it. This is particularly helpful for sneezing.

5. Peppercorns

Otherwise known as black pepper, peppercorns also help to relieve runny nose. Simply chew a few peppercorns and then drink some hot water over them. This may seem to worsen the runny nose at first

Continuous Sneezing Causes

Even though it’s not the result of a serious health issue, excessive sneezing can still be quite irritating. You usually have to deal with constant sneezing when you are exposed to an allergen. You have to identify the source of problem to control excessive sneezing.
Sneezing can be triggered by a variety of things, including:

1. Allergies

Allergies are an extremely common condition caused by your body’s response to foreign organisms. Under normal circumstances, your body’s immune system protects you from harmful invaders such as disease-causing bacteria. If you have allergies, your body’s immune system identifies typically harmless organisms as threats. Allergies can cause you to sneeze when your body tries to expel these organisms.
Most of the time, the reason behind your constant sneezing is some type of allergy. This usually happens when you are suffering from allergic rhinitis, which may affect you in specific seasons or hurt you all year round. Sometimes, you may also be allergic to specific foods, such as dairy.
Sneezing fits are the most common symptom that you have allergic rhinitis. You may experience bouts of sneezing after you wake up in the morning. Other common symptoms include runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy or watery eyes. This could also be due to seasonal rhinitis, which is characterized by frequent attacks of sneezing. If you’re a victim of perennial rhinitis, you’re more likely to experience symptoms when you inhale specific antigens, such as house dust mite, pet hair, and fungal spores.

2. Infections

Infections caused by viruses such as the common cold and flu can also make you sneeze. There are more than 200 different viruses that can cause the common cold. However, most colds are the result of the rhinovirus.
Sneezing may well be a symptom of an upper respiratory tract infection, and it usually affects people with weakened immune system. You may also be a victim of viral infections, which cause infectious rhinitis. This usually happens due to rhinoviruses and adenoviruses. Your rhinitis may also be due to bacterial infections, but sneezing in this case is usually associated with sinusitis. Fungal infections are rare but possible, and lead to rhinitis and constant sneezing as these infections are more common in people with impaired immune system

3. Nasal irritants

This may include things like dirt and debris that are contained in the air. Pollen as well can cause you to sneeze. At all times these foreign bodies are not required in your body, when they enter the nose, they irritate causing you to sneeze in order to get rid of them.
Systemic, airborne, or ingested irritants can lead to constant sneezing if you don’t do anything to limit your exposure to those irritants. Some of the most common triggers are organic and inorganic dusts, environmental pollution, spicy foods, perfumes, cigarette smoke, dry weather, stress, and hormonal changes.

4. Corticosteroids in nasal spray

Nasal spray when used in excess, it may cause you some problems. It contains corticosteroids which when inhaled in excess they are harmful. Nasal spray is used to control stuffy nose or a runny nose. When you use it, make sure you do this in minimal.
Nasal sprays that have a corticosteroid in them reduce inflammation in your nasal passages and decrease the frequency of sneezing. People with allergies often use these sprays.

5. drug withdrawal

This is common to people who have a history of allergy. They usually react to contents in certain drugs and you may find a person developing a rush, fever or even sneezing. In case you react to a certain drug, it is important that you talk to your doctor for better advice.
Using certain medications may also lead to drug-induced rhinitis and cause constant sneezing. Some of the culprits are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, nasal decongestants, beta-blockers, antidepressants, sedatives, drugs for erectile dysfunction, and oral contraceptives.

6. Other Causes

You may also experience sneezing and other allergy related symptoms due to several other causes not mentioned above. This may include the following:

• Nasal polyps
• Neurological conditions
• Exposure to chlorinated pool water
• trauma to the nose
• breathing cold air
• entrance of water in the nose
• tobacco sniffing
• cocaine sniffing

How to Stop Sneezing in the Morning

Sneezing is a common human problem that may occur due to different reasons. Early morning sneezing is a special kind of a disorder, in which a person starts to sneeze either immediately after waking up or while getting out of the bed.
Running nose, itchy eyes and nasal congestion are some of the common symptoms that many people have together with sneezing. In terms of medical science, there can be many reasons for this early morning sneezing issue, and allergies of many kinds are the most powerful reasons for the disorder to occur.
As per the doctors and physicians, following are the chief reasons for the issue of early morning sneezing:

• Allergic rhinitis is the most significant reason for early morning sneezing. It is basically an allergy which is caused by the dust that is available everywhere.
• Non-allergic rhinitis is another important cause for sneezing in which the eosinophilia syndrome is the base reason. It is non-allergic by nature; still it is a very troublesome reason.
• The climatic or environmental conditions are a very common factor that leads to sneezing early in the morning. It includes dry air; air conditioned air, or congestion in the nasal passage that could be the chief reasons.
• Reaction due to non-suitable drugs is also one more reason for this disease to occur. Sinus also causes a terrible amount of problems of early morning sneezing. The disease is severe; but it has quite a few trusted remedies.

Some of the most effective remedies include the ones that are as mentioned below, read on:
Fennel Tea: Fennel seeds are believed to have a good quantity of antioxidants that can be obtained in the form of herbal tea. The fennel tea builds the resistance power against the allergy that causes early morning sneezing.
Black Pepper: The hot effect of the black pepper can be very effective in getting rid of the symptoms as well as troubles of morning coughing and sneezing. Medical science, especially Ayurvedic treatment, suggests many ways of using black pepper to get rid of many diseases, and sneezing is one of them.
Ginger: Apart from being a strong herb, ginger has some very strong elements that are very effective in treating cough and cold. It also works fine against early morning sneezing. However, the doctors also prescribe chewing a small piece of ginger to get rid of coughing.
Chamomile Tea: The chamomile seed is obtained from a flower of the daisy family. It has been found effective against strong cough and cold. Its anti-irritant property can be very effective in overcoming regular fits of morning sneezing. Besides, it also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that are very effective in the treatment of cough and sneeze.
Steam Inhalation: Though an old technique, inhaling steam is very effective in getting rid of the constant early morning sneezing problem. The steam can be prepared by using some medication and then the suffering person can inhale it to get the goodness of the steam. It can be very effective in overcoming the factors that cause sneezing in the morning.
Turmeric: Among many benefits of turmeric, it also fights well against sneezing. Medical science refers to quite a few ways of getting the goodness of turmeric to get rid of the disease
Garlic: Prepare a paste of garlic and cloves and inhale the strong fragrance to develop a resistance against sneezing. It works well too
Honey and Lemon: Add the goodness of honey and lemon to some tea to prepare a deadly drink that can have a decisive fight against sneezing. Its antioxidant properties can be very effective in curing the issue in the best way possible
Bitter Gourd: Though bitter gourd does not taste pleasant, it has some very good medicinal properties. Take bitter gourd in your meals regularly to get rid of the disease quicker.

How to Stop Sneezing from Allergies

The problem with sneezing is that it usually doesn’t come alone. You will also experience issues such as fatigue, lack of concentration, nasal irritation, runny nose, and red eyes. It is therefore important to do something to stop sneezing. There are best ways you may use stop sneezing that is caused by allergies. T
Medical Treatment on how to stop sneezing from allergy
You can find several medications to deal with allergies and infections. You can always start with OTC medications called antihistamines to suppress your symptoms. Zyrtec and Claritin are two common options here. Using allergy shots may be a suitable choice that involves exposing your body to specific allergens in small, manageable doses to ensure your immune system doesn’t react to it.

Home Remedies on How to Stop Sneezing

You can try a number of things at home to stop sneezing and control other symptoms. For instance:

1. You may try fennel tea which has natural anti-viral and antibiotic properties; fennel can help clear upper respiratory infection and stop sneezing. Simply add a couple of teaspoons of crushed fennel seeds to a boiled cup of water and let them stay there for 15 minutes. Strain it and drink a couple of cups daily to stop sneezing. Be sure to boil the water before adding the seeds.
2. Also try Chamomile tea which has antihistamine properties, so drinking a cup of chamomile tea will help stop sneezing caused by allergies. Simply add a teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers to a cup of boiling water. Add some honey to it and let it boil for a few minutes. Drink it twice a day to stop constant sneezing.
3. Also, garlic may help. It is a suitable choice to clear your upper respiratory infection, all thanks to its natural antiviral and antibiotic properties. Simply crush four garlic cloves to make paste and then take deep breaths to inhale its fragrance.
4. Vitamin C: You can add fruits rich in vitamin C to stop sneezing. It works because Vitamin C helps lower the production of histamine. A glass of orange juice will do the trick.
5. Oil of oregano: It has antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-parasitic properties, so it proves beneficial in fighting sinusitis. The ingredients such as thymol and carvacrol make oil of oregano a suitable choice to strengthen your immune system. Simply add a couple of drops of oil of oregano in a glass of juice and drink it once a day.

How to Prevent Constant Sneezing

You need to understand that it is going to take a few days to clear your symptoms if they are caused by the flu or another infection. To avoid dealing with the hassle caused by constant sneezing, you can take certain steps.

• Move your outdoor workout to dusk.

Save outdoor exercise for the evening. Not only do many people with allergies experience more sneezing and itching in the morning, but many trees release their pollen at first light, and ragweed pollen tends to fly most thickly at midday—so stick to end-of-day strolls.

• Change your clothes when you come home.

You already know to leave windows shut and to avoid spending time outdoors on windy, sunny, pollen-infested days, but don’t forget that you drag pollen into your home on your clothes and shoes even if you can’t see it. Toss soiled clothes in the hamper immediately; even better, jump in the shower.

• Make sure your appliances have HEPA filters.

If you don’t have a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your vacuum cleaner, you may be making your symptoms worse by stirring up pollen that has settled on your floor and furniture. Using HEPA filters in your air conditioner or heating system can also help ease allergy symptoms. Some experts suggest placing a freestanding air purifier with a HEPA filter in a high-traffic area.

• Change your car’s cabin air filter.

It is a good idea to do this yearly. Older filters can blast pollen into your face.

• Take meds at night, not in the morning.

Hay fever symptoms such as runny nose, scratchy throat, and sneezing typically are at their worst in the morning. What helps for most people: taking medication at bedtime, says Richard Martin, MD, at National Jewish Health in Denver.

• Know when to break out the drugs.

It’s time to try conventional medicine. If you have symptoms only occasionally, you’ll most likely need an over-the-counter antihistamine, a nasal decongestant spray, or both; if you suffer throughout the season, you may need to substitute or add a prescription steroid spray.
More references

1. Conditions that causes sneezing: http://www.healthline.com/symptom/sneezing
2. Sneezing: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003060.htm

1. How to stop sneezing: https://vicks.com/en-us/treatments/how-to-treat-nasal-congestion-and-sneezing/how-to-help-stop-sneezing

Get insights on how to stop a runny nose instantly. Stuffy nose is another term often used to refer to obstruction to the flow of air in and out of the nose, while runny nose refers to a discharge of a fluid from the nostril. The fluid is normally water and clear, but may be thicker and viscous. Both stuffy and runny nose are associated with inflammation and swelling of the inner lining of the nasal passages and sinuses.
Rhinitis is a term that refers to inflammation that occurs in the nasal passages, while rhinorrhea is the medical term for runny nose. A viral infection is the most common cause of a stuffy and/or runny nose, but allergies, influenza, other viral infections like respiratory syncytial virus and sinus infections also may cause these symptoms. Postnasal drip may be an associated symptom as well. This occurs when there is excess production of mucus by the lining cells in your nose, which accumulates in the back of the nose or throat.

Symptoms associated with runny nose

Common symptoms that are associated with runny nose may include:

• a stuffy nose
• an itchy nose
• a sore or scratchy throat
• itchy eyes
• dark circles under the eyes
• frequent headaches
• eczema-type symptoms, such as having extremely dry, itchy skin that often blisters
• hives
• excessive fatigue

Someone is able to feel one or more of these symptoms immediately after coming into contact with an allergen. Some symptoms, such as recurrent headaches and fatigue, may only happen after long-term exposure to the condition causing the runny nose.
Other symptoms include:

1. Runny Nose, Watery Eyes, and Sneezing

When you have a cold, your body makes chemicals called histamines. That leads to sneezing, a runny nose, and watery eyes. Over-the-counter antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine block this process and can relieve those symptoms. They can also make you sleepy and dry out your eyes, nose, and mouth.

2. Cough

You have two main choices in the cold-and-flu aisle and one is by use of Cough suppressants, like dextromethorphan, can provide relief for a short time. They work on the part of your brain that controls the process. Use also expectorants, like guaifenesin, can break up congestion in your chest by thinning the mucus in your airways. This way, when you do cough, you can get rid of phlegm more easily. Drink plenty of water if you take this medicine.

3. Fever, Aches, and Sore Throat

These symptoms are usually mild with a cold compared to a more serious illness, such as flu. If you feel bad and can’t rest, most experts agree it is fine to take something to ease pain and lower a fever.

Causes of a Runny Nose

Runny nose can be caused by anything that irritates or inflames the nasal tissues. Infections such as the common cold and influenza allergies and various irritants are common causes. Some people have a chronically runny nose for no apparent reason which a condition is called non- allergic rhinitis or vasomotor rhinitis (VMR).
When the excessive mucus comes out of the nose it is regarded as a runny nose. This condition is caused by various factors and among them includes the following:

1. Common colds and flu

This is a condition that can affect anyone. It is caused by viral infection which may result to congestion of the nose. When bacteria are involved, the fluid discharged may be green or yellow in color with a lot of difficulty in breathing.

2. Allergies regarded as allergic postnasal drip.

This is another major cause of stuffed up and runny nose. If the environment you work in or spend most of your time contains allergens that don’t work well to your hormones, you will be a victim of this problem all through. Allergies have been found to be one of the most common causes of nose conditions.

3. Sinus infection (the inflammation of the sinuses)

Your sinus may be affected by bacteria or any other disease causing virus. When this happen, your nose passage may swell up make it hard for you to breath. The swelling may be accompanied by a runny nose in many cases.

4. Stuck of object in the nasal passages

This condition is very common in young children. This is because children are used to playing so much with objects. A foreign body may enter the nose and get stuck. This may lead to a discharge which sometimes may be accompanied by a bad smell. In this case, it very important that you visit your doctor for better health cares.

5. Changes in weather conditions

Some people may react with the change of weather conditions such as cold temperatures or excessive dryness in air. This is common with people who are allergic to certain weather conditions. You have to see your doctor for advice in case the season you are allergic to is approaching.
Other common causes for a runny nose may include the following:

• Certain types of foods such as spices.
• Irritants such as chemical fumes, perfumes, smoke and cleaning products.
• Certain types of medication such as blood pressure medications and birth control pills.
• Abnormalities in nasal structure such as deviated septum and sinuses.
• Acute sinusitis
• Chronic sinusitis
• Churg-strauss syndrome
• Decongestant nasal spray overuse
• Deviated septum
• Drug addiction
• Hormonal changes
• Medications
• Nasal polyps
• Non-allergic rhinitis
• Occupational asthma
• Pregnancy
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Spinal fluid leak
• Tobacco smoke

How to Stop a Runny Nose Instantly, Immediately

Excess nasal discharge and drainage, which can run the gamut from thin and clear to thick green or yellow mucus, is far from a nice image and even more annoying to experience, often resulting in turning the delicate skin around our noses raw from all the blowing, not to mention having to wash our hands every time we do it in order to try and avoid spreading the germs.
How to get rid of a runny nose immediately
A runny nose can be annoying to many of us in many cases. However, there are a number of ways that can help if you will, the whole flushing out process, or curb the more intrusive effects of the runny nose. You can try some of the following activities and you will find the perfect runny nose remedy for you here.

1. Blow your nose

Blowing your nose is, of course, the most obvious first solution. But it can only go so far if your nose will not stop leaking. If it is a bit more moderate, then I would advise trying to blow at the sink with water as often as possible, to avoid irritating and hurting the skin around your nose. To add on that, it makes it easier to wash your hands after to help stop the spreading, so, score.

2. Spicy Foods

Apart from being delicious, spicy foods have been used for centuries for their health benefits. In this case, foods like garlic, which contain a mild decongestant, and hot peppers, which contain capsaicin, may help thin the mucus and thus aid in its drainage.

3. Steam up

No better excuse to steam it up because it’s an excellent way to loosen the mucus, keep the nasal passages nice and moist and help drain the sinuses. You can take a hot bath or steamy shower, inhale over a bowl of boiling water with a towel over your head (carefully!) or use a steam inhaler machine. Some people like to add eucalyptus oil, ginger or thyme to their steam too.

4. Saline

Saline can be extremely helpful in thinning the mucous and helping to soothe the membranes. You can use a syringe, a neti pot, nasal spray or other nasal irrigation technique. Sounds gross, but it can seriously help.

5. Stopper

If you just can’t stand the constant leaking, try balling up a couple of small pieces of tissue and gently placing them in the opening of your nostrils. That way they can absorb some of the mucus without your having to blow so much. Of course, this pro tip is recommended for use at home

Home Remedies for Runny Nose

The reasons behind the runny nose can be change of weather, some infection or allergy. The sore throat problem also comes along with a runny nose, which can be really bothering. Try out the ways listed in this article to get rid of a runny nose quickly.
Remedies to Stop a Runny Nose

1. Take a hot Shower

Take a hot water shower to clear your nasal passage and stop a runny nose. Fill your lungs with steam by breathing in and out while having hot water shower which can help in clearing the congestion in your nose. This is an effective way to get rid of a runny nose.

2. Take Steam with Vicks

Breathe in and out with steam to clear the congestion. Heat from the steam will ease your congestion. Take water in a boiling pot and boil. Lean your head towards the pot and breathe in gently. You can try this method very often during the day.

3. Apply Warm Compress

Take a cloth and wet it in hot water. Apply the warm wet cloth over your nose. Don’t overheat the water. Heat the water as much as you can stand. Lean your head towards the pot and breathe in gently. You can try this method very often during the day.

4. Use Decongestants

Decongestants can be used effectively to clear congestion and get rid of a runny nose. Decongestants can be applied in the form of spray or can be taken in the form of a pill.
Read instructions carefully before using decongestants. Don’t take decongestants without a doctor’s prescription for more than 3 days.

5. Use Humidifier

Humidifiers keep the air moist and liquidate the dry mucus from your nose so that it can be flushed out. You can make a humidifier at home. Take a pot and boil water in it and let the steam make the air moist around you. Do not overdo it as humidifiers are effective to an extent else too much moisture can also cause problems. Humidifier is an effective way to get rid of a runny nose quickly and easily.

6. Tea or Coffee

Sometimes a sore throat also comes with stuffy nose. Drink tea or coffee to soothe the sore throat. You can try having hot water with lemon and honey. Tea helps to keep you hydrated if you have dry cold. Boil water and put some tea leaves in it. Add some honey and lemon. It will relieve you from a runny nose and you will feel better.

7. Apply Vapor Rub or Oil

A very common vapour rub that comes in the market is Vicks Vapour rub for runny nose. It helps to relieve congestion and runny nose. Vapour rubs have a strong smell of menthol, which helps in treating nasal congestion. Vicks vapour rub can be applied on the nose and chest to get relief. This method can be used before going to bed. Eucalyptus oil can be massaged over the nose bridge to get rid of a runny nose. You can keep eucalyptus oil in a bowl near your bed so that you can breathe the aroma in the air while sleeping.

8. Keep Yourself Hydrated

Drink lots of water during the day to get rid of a runny nose. Keep your body hydrated, water will liquidate the thick mucus and will help in flushing it out. Water will help to soothe the congestion and helps to clear the blockage due to the mucus. Water has many key benefits and getting rid of a runny nose is one of them.

9. Identify the Cause to Get Rid of a Runny Nose

There are a number of causes which can result in runny nose. Some of the causes can be a change of weather, some allergy, infection, flu, stress or cough. Consult a doctor if you have a sore throat along with fever as it may be some viral infection which needs to be treated with medicines. If it’s just a common cold, then you can try having warm things and having proper rest.

How to Stop a Runny Nose from a Cold

While a cold or the flu is often the culprit, a runny nose can also be the result of allergies. There are simple steps you can take to feel better fast.  On how to get rid of runny nose from cold, you may use some of the homme remedies we have mentioned above. Am sure they will work for you as you already know the cause of the condition. To add on that you may do the following:
Get plenty of rest
When you’re not feeling well, it’s crucial to get plenty of sleep so your body can heal. Plus, resting will give you a much-needed break from blowing your nose!
Use the right OTC meds
Non-prescription medications can help ease your symptoms. Although Vicks products can’t cure a runny nose, they can help you feel better until it clears up on its own. Cold medicines will help dry up your nasal passages and help relieve your runny nose. For cold symptoms and runny nose at night, try Nyquil Cold & Flu which can dry up your runny nose and calm your cough so you can get the rest you need.

How to Stop a Runny Nose from Allergies

Having a runny nose can irritate the mucus membrane and create a sneeze in an attempt to clear up. The body’s release of histamine, a chemical found in the body’s cells, causes allergic-like symptoms including runny nose. As an alternative to over-the-counter medications, you can use home remedies to relieve runny nose from allergy and sneezing.  Consult with your physician always before trying any new remedy.
Salt Water Solution Irrigation
Irrigate nostrils with a salt water solution. Dissolve 1/2 tsp. of table salt in 8 oz. of warm water. Draw the solution into an eyedropper, and insert the solution into one nostril at a time with your head tilted back. Breathe the solution into the nostril. When finished, blow your nose to remove excess mucus and solution. You may need to do this a few times before you feel relief.
Neti Pot
A neti pot typically has a spout on one end and a handle on the opposite end. According to Mayo Clinic asthma and allergy specialist, fill the neti pot with warm salt water or an over-the-counter saline nasal solution. Then tilt your head over the sink and place the spout of the neti pot in the upper nostril. The salt water will flow through your nasal cavity and out the lower nostril.
Oil of Oregano
It has antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory properties vital in fighting sinusitis. The natural oil extracted from wild oregano plants has two key ingredients that are essential in strengthening the immune system. To relieve sinus congestion and runny nose, mix two to three drops of oil with juice and drink it daily until the symptoms subside.
Diet
Monitoring what you consume can help to alleviate runny nose from allergies. Drink plenty of water to thin the nasal mucus. Avoid milk, wheat and saturated fats, which tend to produce more mucus and inflammation. Also, avoid foods that have histamines including cheese, yogurt, dried fruits, processed meats, spinach, tomatoes and bread with a high amount of yeast. Instead, include foods that are high in vitamin C and E such as oranges and almonds. These foods are powerful antioxidants against free radicals that cause runny nose and sneezing.

How to Get Rid of a Runny Nose at School, Class

There are different treatments ranging from the best medicines for runny nose, home remedies and use of natural ingredients depending on the causes of the condition. While in school, there are numerous best ways you can help yourself from this problem.
Best Medicine for Runny Nose

1. Postnasal drip caused by bacterial infection is best treated using antibiotics. Colds are caused by virus and cannot respond to antibiotics. In most immune system fights viral infections on its own and what you have to do is to work on mechanisms that improves it such as taking more fluids, balanced diet and enough rest.
2. Decongestants are suitable for clearing a stuffy nose caused by viral infection and sinusitis. They help relieving the inflamed membranes that causes blockage. Decongestants are available over the counter and can be obtained under prescription by the doctor.
3. Antihistamines, nasal sprays and steroid medications are best for a runny nose caused by allergies. Visit your doctor to get advised for the best ones.
4. Mucus-thinning medicines can also help in the removal of thick stuck mucus in the passages. This helps in preventing the blockage of Eustachian tubes of the ears and sinus that can result to more infections.

How to Stop a Runny Nose without Medicine

Self-help mechanisms can also be used to stop postnasal drip. They include the following:

• Keep drinking more warm water. This helps in keeping mucus thin to prevent blockages of other nasal passages and more infections.
• For infants, use a soft rubber suction bulb to help in the removal of secretions.
• Distance yourself from common irritants such as cigarette smoke and dramatic temperature changes.
• Cover your pillow and mattresses with dust mite proof to avoid particles getting into your nose.
• Often wash your beddings including pillows and sheets in hot water.
• Keep dusting and vacuuming your environs regularly.
• Consider using HEPA air filters in your home.

More references

1. Runny nose: http://www.medicinenet.com/runny_nose/symptoms.htm
2. Guide to cold medicine for adults: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-medicines-adults#1
3. How to stop a runny nose: http://www.coldeeze.com/stop-runny-nose/
4. Get rid of runny nose fast: http://lethow.com/health/get-rid-of-a-runny-nose-fast/
5. Home remedies for runny nose: http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-runny-nose.html

Get insights on how to get rid of a stuffy nose instantly. A condition known as nasal congestion, stuffiness, or obstruction to nasal breathing is a problem that has been affecting people since time in memorial. Some people may just ignore the condition while others usually take it as a source of great discomfort to their well- being.

Stuffy Nose Symptoms

When you are having a stuffy nose, it may be accompanied by numerous other symptoms. Let us look at some of them here:

• It is often that you also experience sneezing and a dripping nose.
• Nasal congestion can as well result in severe headache in some people.

Addition symptoms to be keen for since they may signal something more serious than a stuffy nose include:

• green mucus draining from the nose
• facial pain
• pain in the ear
• headache
• fever
• coughing
• chest tightness

People who get some of these symptoms above should take as an important factor visit their doctor immediately to ascertain if a bacterial infection or any other complication.

Stuffy Nose Causes

Nasal congestion is a problem that is well – known and a good number of people in your surrounding could be suffering from it as we post now.  Nasal congestion may occur when the blood vessels inside the nose become inflamed and the nasal tissues swell up clogging the nostril. Excess mucus drainage may also be accompanied with this problem.
In a number of occasions, nasal congestion is a problem that will get you temporarily. So what causes that stuffed up nose feeling? Some of the following conditions can cause you a stuffy nose:

1. Infection
   • Viral infections

Usually a common cold which is caused by a viral infection is one of the most common triggers of a stuffy nose. There are several viruses that can cause a cold, with the rhinovirus being the most common.
An average adult person can suffer a common cold two to three times per year if with a poor immune system. These viral infections are more often in childhood because immunity often strengthens with age. A cold is caused by one of many viruses, some of which are airborne, but most are transmitted through contact.
Once the virus is absorbed by the nose, it causes the body to release histamine, (a chemical which dramatically increases blood flow to the nose) which results to nasal tissue to swell. This inflames the nasal membranes causing it to be congested with blood and produce excessive amounts of mucus that block the nasal airway. Antihistamines and decongestants can help relieve the symptoms of a cold, but no medication has been proven to cure it yet. Otherwise, time is what is needed to get rid of the infection.

• Bacterial infection

During a viral infection, the nose has poor resistance to bacteria, which is why infections of the nose and sinuses often will present itself after a cold. When the nasal mucus turns from clear to yellow or green, it usually a sign of bacterial infection taking place. In case you experience this, it is a good option that you go seeing your medical provider for examination and treatment.

• Acute sinus infections

It produces nasal congestion and thick discharge. Pain may be felt in cheeks and upper teeth, between and behind the eyes, or above the eyes and in the forehead, depending on which sinuses are involved.

• Chronic sinus infections

They may or may not cause pain, but usually are accompanied by nasal obstruction and offensive nasal or postnasal discharge. Some people develop polyps which appear as fleshy growths in the nose from sinus infections, and the infection can spread to the lower airways, leading to a chronic cough, bronchitis, or asthma. Usually, acute sinus infections generally respond to antibiotic treatment; chronic sinusitis may require surgery.

2. Vasomotor Rhinitis

Rhinitis means inflammation of the nose and nasal membranes whereas Vasomotor means pertaining to the nerves that control the blood vessels. Membranes in the nose have an abundant supply of arteries, veins, and capillaries, which expand and constrict at their normal activities. Normally these blood vessels are in a half-open state. But when a person exercises vigorously, adrenaline levels goes up. This causes constriction of the nasal membranes so that the air passages open up and the person breathes freely.
The opposite takes place when an allergic attack or a cold develops. During a cold, blood vessels expand, membranes become congested, and the nose becomes stuffy, or blocked.

3. Allergic rhinitis

This is a very common condition in human beings. According to research findings from great organizations, this is a condition that most of the Americans are affected from. Allergy is an exaggerated inflammatory response to a substance which, in the case of a stuffy nose, is usually pollen, mold, animal dander, or some element in house dust. Pollen may cause problems during spring, summer, and fall, whereas house dust allergies are often most evident in the winter.
Allergic rhinitis occurs when your body’s immune system overreacts with a substance that is usually not harmful. Common triggers of allergic rhinitis are pollen, dust, and pet dander. A part from a stuffy nose, other accompanied symptoms may include sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy eyes. It has not yet been proven why some people develop allergic rhinitis, but having a family history of allergies is one of the risk factors.

4. Occupational rhinitis

It is almost similar to allergic rhinitis. It usually occurs when someone has a reaction to a substance in their work environment. Symptoms resulted from it may include stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and coughing. People who work in chemicals, wood dust, and grain areas may be at an increased risk of developing this condition.

5. Pregnancy rhinitis

Pregnancy is usually accompanied by numerous complications on a woman’s body, and that can include the nose. During pregnancy, hormones including progesterone and estrogen go above the normal rate. The rise in these hormones along with increased blood flow can cause swelling of the mucous membranes inside the nose. This is usually visible with stuffy nose and sneezing.
Pregnancy rhinitis can occur at any time during pregnancy period. Symptoms will go away a short time after delivery.

6. Atrophic rhinitis

It may present itself when there is thinning and hardening of the mucous membranes inside the nose. The thinning tissues make it easier for bacteria to grow and cause an infection in the nose. Crusts also appear as a result of this condition in your nose. This problem is most common in people who have had multiple nose surgeries.

7. Structural abnormalities
   • Deformed nasal septum and nose

The thin, flat cartilage and bone that divides the two sides of the nose and nostrils can as well result to this problem. These deformities are usually the result of an injury, which may have sometimes occurred in someone’s childhood.  Research has it that 7% of newborn babies suffer significant nasal injury in the birth process. Nasal injuries may occur in both children and adults. If they obstruct breathing, surgical correction may be done to correct the problem.

• Enlarged adenoids

This is one of the most common known causes of nasal obstruction in children. Adenoid is a tonsil-like tissue which is located in the back of the nose, behind the palate. Children with this problem may experience noisy breathing at night and they are often heard snoring when they sleep. Children who are chronic mouth breathers may develop a sagging face and dental deformities as research has revealed. In this case, surgery can be done to remove the adenoids and/or tonsils.

• Nasal tumors and foreign bodies

These may be other causes of stuffy nose in this category. Children are usually involved with inserting small objects into their noses. If a foul-smelling discharge is observed draining from a child’s nostril, you should contact a doctor immediately for help.
In the early stages of these disorders, nasal stuffiness is temporary and can be reversed. It usually improves when the primary cause of the problem is corrected.

How to Get Rid of a Stuffy Nose Instantly

This problem can be uncomfortable; however it is nothing to worry about in most cases. There may be times when it is important that you see a doctor in this case, especially if symptoms don’t seem to be going away. The amount of time it takes for symptoms to improve may depend on the cause but most people recover from a cold in about 10 days.
Here are ways to get rid of nasal congestion instantly

1. Hot shower

Take a hot shower before bed, or sit in the bathroom with the hot shower running, as the steam will help open up your sinuses. This will also help drain the mucus so you can breathe easier through your nose.

2. Take a hot soup

You may take a hot chicken soup making sure that you don’t burn your mouth. Some studies have found that a hot soup contains a compound that can reduce swelling and help relieve cold and flu symptoms.

3. Take some herbal tea

This can soothe a sore throat and loosen the gunk in your nose and lungs. Researchers at Cardiff University found that sipping hot drinks can give quick relief from runny nose, cough, and sneezing. When someone is sick, the body needs more fluid to fight off the infection. But avoid caffeine and alcohol as both can dry you out and zap the energy you need to feel better.

4. Try a Nasal Rinse

This can be acquired from your local drugstore. It comes in a squeeze bottle. Or you can buy a neti pot kit, which looks like a little teapot. Both have a spout that goes into the nostril to rinse out mucus. This will help flush out mucus so you feel less stuffed up.
You can also make your own nasal rinse at your home. Just mix 3 teaspoons of iodide-free salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a container. Scoop 1 teaspoon of the powder into 1 cup of lukewarm, distilled water and stir it until it is fine. This can still help.

How to Sleep with a Stuffy Nose

When you have a stuffy, runny nose, and sore throat, all you want to do is have a sleep. But that cannot happen if you can’t breathe well.  However, if the condition persists, your blood vessels will lose their capacity to constrict, much like varicose veins. When you lie down on one side, the lower side becomes congested, which interferes with your sleep. It is helpful to sleep with the head of the bed elevated two to four inches to get some sleep.

• Also, raise your head. This is one of the best things you can do to get some sleep fast. Keeping your head elevated promotes your sinus drainage. You can add to your head an extra pillow, as your sinuses will stay clear and you won’t wake up in the middle of the night because of difficulty in breathing.
• Running the heater in winter dries out the air hence the air that enters your nose is kept dry. If you breathe through your mouth, you may wake up with a sore, scratchy throat.
• Also you can use a humidifier. You will breathe easier and sleep better. It might also help keep you in a better condition: A 2013 study found that raising humidity levels above 40% helped to lower the risk of people getting a cold flu.

How to get rid of a Blocked Nose in bed

Stuffed up nose may give you problems especially when you are in your bed. Regardless of the reason for your stuffed-up nose, there are easy ways to relieve it at the comfort of your bed. Here are some of the things you can do now to feel and breathe better.

1. Use a humidifier

It provides a quick, easy way to reduce sinus pain and relieve a stuffy nose. The machine converts water to moisture that slowly fills the air, increasing the humidity in a room. Breathing in this moist air can soothe irritated tissues and swollen blood vessels in your nose and sinuses. Humidifiers also thin the mucus in your sinuses. This can help empty the fluids in your nose and return your breathing to normal. Put a humidifier in your room before sleeping to ease the inflammation causing your congestion.

2. Use a saline spray

Take hydration one step further with saline, a saltwater solution. Using a nasal saline spray can increase the moisture in your nostrils. The spray helps thin the mucus in your nasal passages. This decreases the inflammation of your blood vessels and helps empty fluids from your nose. Numerous saline sprays are available over the counter.
Some saline sprays also include decongestant medication. Talk to your doctor before you begin using saline sprays with decongestants. They may actually make your congestion worse if used for more than three days. They can also cause side effects when used along with other medications.

How to Drain your Nose

Your nose is either plugged or like a leaky faucet, and your head feels like it as the opposite of the truth. It feels better to keep your eyes closed because they are always puffy and sore.
Sinus problems can be uncomfortable. However, there are effective way to drain your nose to alleviate the pain and discomfort of sinus issues.
How to drain your sinuses
It is not the most glamorous task, but you can flush your clogged nostrils with a neti pot. A neti pot is a container designed to flush mucus and fluids out of your nasal passages. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend that you use distilled or sterile water instead of tap water.
Here is how to use a neti pot:

• Stand with your head over a sink.
• Place the spout of the neti pot in one nostril.
• Tilt the neti pot until water enters your nasal passage.
• Once the water flows into your nostril, it will come out through your other nostril and empty into the sink.
• Do this for about one minute, and then switch sides.

How to Stop a Stuffy Nose

From chicken soup to neti pots to over-the-counter (OTC) medications, there are all sorts of ways to help you on how to get rid of stuffy nose. You may consult your doctor for treatment if you have been congested for more than 2 weeks. If not, use these tips to breathe easier.

1. Nasal Wash

Rinse the inside of your nose with a nasal irrigation kit or neti poti as mentioned above to soften, loosen, and wash out mucus and instantly relieve your stuffy nose. It can be acquired at your local drugstore. While you’re there, pick up some saline solution.
You will want to irrigate your sinuses while standing over a sink or basin to capture the liquid. Pour, spray, or squirt a liberal amount of the solution into one nostril while tilting your head so it flows out the other nostril. Do this with each nostril. It also flushes away bacteria and irritants.

2. hydrated your self

Drink fluids and run a humidifier or vaporizer. Fluids and humidification help to thin mucous and drain your sinuses. They also lubricate your sinuses and keep your skin hydrated.

3. Steam

Steam helps relieve congestion by loosening mucus. Give yourself a steam treatment using a bowl of hot water and a large towel. Add menthol, camphor, or eucalyptus oils to the water, if you like. Place the towel over your head so it falls along the sides of the bowl, trapping the steam inside. Most people do this until the steam dissipates. The steam from a hot shower can also work but is a less concentrated experience.

4. Chicken soup

It’s not an old wives’ tale. A number of studies support the benefits of chicken soup in helping ease congestion. One 2000 study found that chicken soup reduces inflammation associated with sinus congestion and colds.
So what’s the secret? Scientists haven’t identified the active ingredient in chicken soup, but they speculate that the steam combined with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the soup’s ingredients are what help clear the sinuses.

5. Warm and cold compresses

Rotating warm and cold compresses on your sinuses should also help.

• Lay back with a warm compress draped across your nose, cheeks, and forehead for three minutes.
• Remove the warm compress and replace it with a cold compress for 30 seconds.
• Do this two to three times.

You can repeat this process two to six times each day.
Decongestants
Over-the-counter decongestants can shrink these vessels and help you breathe easier. Check the label for the ingredients phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine. Decongestant nasal sprays work the same way. But be careful! Your nose can get even stuffier if you use them for more than 4 or 5 days in a row. Sometimes these products can make you nervous or irritable.
Peppermint
Peppermint and its main active ingredient, menthol, are natural decongestants and may even thin out the gunk in your chest. You’ll find them in many chest rubs and cough drops. You can also drink peppermint tea. Buy it from the store, or make your own: Steep 1 teaspoon of dried peppermint in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drink a cup up to five times a day.
More references

1. Tips for sound sleep when you have a cold: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/cold-relief-6-sleep-tips-to-help-you-breathe-easier#1
2. Treatments for stuffy nose: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313808.php
3. Home remedies for sinus drainage: http://www.healthline.com/health/cold-flu/remedies-for-sinus-drainage#introduction1

Coughing at night can cause you a sleepless night yet sleeping is very essential to every human being. Research reveals that a healthy person should sleep at least 6-7 hours every day. When you are suffering from a viral infection, getting plenty of rest and relaxation is very important. This can be difficult if you are continuously coughing during the night, effectively ruining the whole sleeping pattern. Researches reveals that the underlying conditions that make people cough more at night are crucial and you should consult your doctor.

Coughing at Night Causes

Any health problem that causes you to cough during the day will most likely lead to coughing at night. For example, the common cold can give rise to a variety of symptoms, including coughs, which stay with you day and night until the infection resolves.
The following conditions causes severe coughing at night:

1. Asthma

This is a chronic disease of the bronchioles and more commonly encountered in young people. These small tubes transport air into the depths of the lungs and can become inflamed and narrowed as a result of a variety of factors, including an allergic tendency. Some of the early signs of asthma include coughing at night, coughing whilst exercising and a mild wheeze

2. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)

This is also referred to simply as ‘acid reflux’. It is associated with indigestion and reflux occurs when acid in the stomach escapes up into the oesophagus. If severe, this irritates the pharynx (back of the throat) and the upper parts of the respiratory system, triggering the cough reflex. Lying down encourages reflux as the stomach and mouth are at approximately the same level which is why people with acid reflux may cough more at night

3. Sinusitis

The sinuses are small cavities lying within the cheekbone and forehead. Sinusitis is the condition which comes about when the lining of these cavities become infected and inflamed, giving rise to the main symptom of the feeling of a blocked nose. Mucus in the sinuses drains into the back of the nose and pharynx. When you lie down, excess mucus drips down into the back of your throat, irritates the tissues, triggering the cough reflex

4. Heartburn

Symptoms: A ‘throat’ coughs following a meal, or waking you at night, often with a nasty acid taste in your mouth.
Causes: Heartburn, or acid reflux, occurs when stomach acid flows back up the oesophagus, irritating the throat and triggering coughing at night. Large or rich meals late at night are triggers.
Treat it: Sleeping with an extra pillow can help reduce the backflow of acid. If it’s occasional, a simple over-the-counter anti-reflux treatment, such as Zantac, will reduce the production of stomach acid. If it’s frequent, talk to your GP who may want to investigate.

5. Chest infection

Symptoms: A hacking cough with greenish phlegm, plus a fever that follows after a cold.
Causes: A chest infection, or acute bronchitis, affects the lower airways. It’s generally caused by the same viruses that cause colds, but inflammation spreads lower into the lungs, leaving the area open to attack by bacteria hence coughing at night.
Treat it: Drink plenty of fluids and take paracetamol to reduce a fever. Because most bronchitis is caused by a virus, your doctor will only prescribe antibiotics if he suspects a secondary bacterial infection has occurred.

6. Whooping cough

Symptoms: Uncontrollable coughing fits, which may produce a ‘whoop’ sound.
Causes: This highly contagious disease has been on the rise again in recent years, and spreads when an infected person coughs and another person inhales the bacteria. A vaccine is given to babies and since last year, pregnant women, but protection fades so you can still get it as an adult.
Treat it: Babies are at the highest risk of severe complications and death and need close monitoring. In older children and adults it’s generally unpleasant, but not serious, lasting up to six weeks. Drink plenty of fluids and take ibuprofen to ease a sore throat.

7. Medication cough

Symptoms: A dry, niggling cough, often worse at night.
Causes: ACE inhibitors, a drug used to control high blood pressure, can cause a chronic cough in 20% of patients.
Treat it: If your coughing at night coincided with starting medication, talk to your doctor who can supply alternative blood pressure drugs.

8. Tuberculosis

Symptoms: A persistent cough, often with extreme tiredness, weight loss, night sweats and coughing up blood.
Causes: Another highly infectious illness, once thought to be wiped out, current TB rates are the highest for 40 years.
Treat it: Because TB awareness is low these days; it’s worth mentioning the condition to your GP if your symptoms fit those described above. If they suspect TB you’ll have a skin test to check for antibodies and be sent for a lung X-ray. Treatment involves six months of strong antibiotics that cures 99% of cases.

9. Smokers’ cough

Symptoms: It’s easy to get used to a ‘smokers’ cough’ but if it changes in any way, for example, becomes more frequent or you cough up blood, it needs checking out immediately.
Causes: Smoking irritates the airways causing a cough, which in the long-term can be a sign of COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis – meaning there’s irreversible damage to your airways, worsening if you continue puffing away.
Treat it: If you’re a smoker or ex-smoker with a persistent coughing at night, your GP should send you for X-ray. It’s never too late to quit – giving up will lessen or abolish a smokers’ cough in 94% of people within four weeks, and will stop the rate of deterioration in COPD cases.

10. Lung cancer

Symptoms: A new cough lasting longer than three weeks, a long-standing cough that gets worse, coughing up blood, unexplained breathlessness, weight loss, tiredness or chest pain.
Causes: Lung cancer is now the second most common cancer in the UK and smoking accounts for 90% of cases. Treat it: If an X-ray confirms it, treatment combining surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy depends on the stage of the cancer.

11. Heart problems

Symptoms: Persistent coughing or wheezing, plus extreme tiredness, breathlessness on exertion and fluid retention.
Causes: When you suffer heart failure, fluid can build up in the lungs and cause a lingering coughing at night.
Treat it: See your GP immediately. If they suspect heart failure you’ll be referred to a specialist hospital clinic for an ECG and blood tests. Treatments include ACE inhibitors to prevent fluid build-up and beta-blockers to slow the heart rate.

Can’t Stop Coughing at Night

The annoying sensation in your throat starts as a tickle and then escalates to a hacking cough just as you’re trying to fall asleep, or it wakes you up in the middle of the night. Coughing is your body’s way of ridding your lungs and airways of irritants such as mucus, microbes, and pollutants. Read on to learn how to stop coughing at night and why it happens in the first place.
Depending on what’s causing it, there are different remedies and lifestyle changes you can try to relieve or prevent nighttime coughing in both adults and children. Dry, warm air can irritate your throat and airways. Some people also cough when they turn their heater on in the winter. This is due to the release of pollutants that built up in the heating ducts. A humidifier that produces a cool mist can help keep the air in your bedroom moist. This can keep your throat feeling better.
If nighttime coughing is caused by a medical condition such as a sinus infection, it’s important to get treatment. You may need a prescription from your doctor for antibiotics. You can also use a neti pot to help clear sinuses.

Dry Cough at Night

A dry cough at night often occurs alongside a tickly cough and can be caused by viral infections or allergies. Unlike a chesty cough, a dry cough does not produce any mucus and is therefore termed as non-productive. It is closely related to tickly coughs and often, these terms are used interchangeably.
A dry coughing at night is most often the result of infection by cold and flu viruses. It can also be triggered by atmospheric pollutants irritating your throat. In most of these situations, dry coughs occur because the back of your throat becomes irritated or inflamed, but may also arise from deeper in the chest.
Any cough can be a nuisance and this is particularly so if sleep is disturbed. A vicious cycle can develop – if one is tired, recovery from any infection or illness can take longer.
Common causes of dry coughs

1. Viral infections we know as the common cold and flu. These coughs may occur at the start of the illness or more likely, appear towards the middle or the end of the infection, and may linger long after other symptoms have disappeared
2. Allergies can also lead to a dry cough. Hay fever, an allergy to grass and tree pollen, causes irritation to the eyes and nose and when the throat is affected, a cough results. Sensitivity to other particles such as animal fur, known as allergic rhinitis, can also lead to the same symptom
3. Air pollutants can irritate the back of the throat causing a cough. This is the situation seen when non-smokers enter a smoky room
4. Acid reflux is now accepted as a cause of dry coughs. What happens is that the acidic contents of the stomach travel upwards to the back of the throat. Minute amounts of acid may then enter the upper respiratory tract, causing inflammation and coughing. This is more likely when one is lying down flat.

Coughing at Night only in Adults

Physiologically, coughing is a rapid expulsion of air from the lungs that happens reflexively to keep the airways clear. Night cough in adult may be a symptom of conditions specifically affecting the lungs and throat or a more generalized condition, such as a cold or the flu as well.
Adult people get Inflammation of the lungs or throat, due to smoking, colds, or flu. Smokers produce excess mucus in their airways and the lung struggles constantly to clear these passages. Remarkably, this symptom is one of the first to improve, even completely disappear, with smoking cessation.
In rare cases, night coughing in grown up people can be a symptom of a serious infection of the lungs, bronchial tubes, or throat. Night cough can also be a symptom of congestive heart failure if it occurs together with pink frothy mucus in the mouth, severe shortness of breath, wheezing, and rapid heartbeat.
Depending on the cause, coughing at night may occur only while you are lying down or also while you are sitting up, and it may be accompanied by sputum production, sneezing, shortness of breath, wheezing, or gastric contents moving upward into the mouth.
In some cases, when you cough while in the bed, it can be a sign of a life-threatening condition, such as congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, or a severe respiratory infection. If you, or someone you are with a cough accompanied by serious symptoms, such as chest pain, a high fever, or severe breathing problems, seek immediate medical care.

Severe Coughing at Night

Most coughs may disappear without treatment, but severe nighttime coughing may be a sign of a serious condition. For example, heart failure can cause a chronic cough that worsens at night. Respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and COPD also cause severe, chronic cough. Lung cancer and blood clots in the lungs are less common causes of severe coughs.
You have to watch out for the following symptoms in case you are in the bed and you cough severely with them:

• a fever of 100˚F (38˚C) or above
• trouble breathing
• choking
• swelling in your legs or abdomen
• wheezing
• green, yellow, or bloody phlegm
• it lasts more than three weeks

Dry Cough at Night Home Remedies

If want to know how to get rid of your coughing at night, try these home remedies with simple ingredients that you can find right in your kitchen. These natural cough remedies easy to follow but are really effective in boosting your immune system.  The fact that they call for all-natural ingredients means that they are safe to use as home remedies for cough for kids.

1. The Classic Golden Milk

This dry cough treatment has been used successfully for centuries. Add a pinch of turmeric to a glass of warm milk before bedtime. The warm milk will calm your throat and help you sleep. Turmeric – the golden spice – is a panacea for many problems because it is a natural antibiotic. When you awaken the next day, you will be all rise-and-shine-y for sure!

2. Spice Up that That Drink

Many of us crave a cuppa when we have been coughing all day. Warming spices are natural cough remedies that we can easily incorporate into our tea. When boiling water, add a spoonful of aniseeds or a stick of cinnamon to your pot. A few slices of ginger boiled with the water will work well too.

3. Basil is the Best

Tulsi or holy basil is a powerful antibacterial and antioxidant that can cure a cough in a jiffy. Chew on some fresh basil leaves or steep them in boiling water and drink up. Add a few drops of basil essential oil to a pot and inhale the steam to get rid of that tickly throat.

4. Honey

Honey has cough-curing compounds that will give you instant relief from a dry cough. Mix 5 tablespoons of honey in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. This is an immune-boosting homemade cough syrup that also works great for children with coughs.

5. Aloe vera

Aloe has anti-inflammatory properties which makes it the perfect choice for scratchy coughing at night. Add some honey into a glass of aloe juice. Bon santé!

6. Onion Remedy

Onions contain healing sulfur which makes them a staple in chronic cough remedies. Combine 1 teaspoonful of raw onion juice with 1 teaspoonful of honey; let stand for 3-4 hours. Take this syrup thrice a day. Drinking warm onion broth is also a magic potion for dry cough.

7. Stay hydrated

Through all of this, the best advice is to keep hydrated if you have a cold or flu – it will help with catarrh and mucus. Keep your throat lubricated and drink plenty of fluid. Honey is a natural antiseptic so try some warm water with honey and lemon, which can be very soothing.

8. Take a hot tea

Some say hot teas are the best way to soothe a sore throat, moisten the upper respiratory tract and calm a cough. Avoid any tea with caffeine in them, and drink those with chamomile and honey. If that does not work consider having a teaspoon of honey before bed.

9. Menthol and Eucalyptus oil

This is a natural cough remedy. With a few drops of eucalyptus oil in your bath water, placing a small warmer by your bed or even using an ointment on your chest, inhaling the vapor helps in freer/easier breathing which can soothe coughing at night.

10. Sit in a warm bath or take a warm shower

The steam from either will help loosen the mucus and phlegm that are sitting in the upper airways. While this might make you cough and have mucus run from your nose a lot, it is clearing the system out so it can help shorten the duration of your sickness.

11. Shift the way you’re sleeping at night

Lying on your back can cause nasal drip to be much worse than laying on your side or your stomach. Elevated sleeping can do wonders. Prop a few pillows up behind you to open the airways and move the mucus. Sleeping on a recliner can have the same effect when trying this night cough treatment.

12. Use a humidifier

Use it to provide moisture into the air where there might not be much. When trying to breathe dry air, the passages will become dry, causing the cough. With moisture in the air, the cough is less likely to happen. Some humidifiers have places to place vapor rub on them. This emits a peppermint like smell throughout the room that helps open airways.

How to Stop Coughing at Night without Medicine

Cough medications are typically not recommended for children under 4 and can cause side effects, such as dizziness, drowsiness and stomach upset. You can use natural remedies to get rid of your cough at home. However, if your cough does not clear up within a few weeks; contact a medical professional for advice.
Your GP won’t give you antibiotics for it
Although flu can be debilitating, it cannot be treated by antibiotics from your GP as it is a virus and antibiotics are only effective against bacteria. It is urged that patients consider having one to protect themselves and others against the illness. Again, your Boots pharmacist or GP can advise whether you are eligible to have the free vaccination this year
Germs circulate easily via sneezed and coughed-out droplets. Always carry tissues and use them to catch coughs or sneezes to stop germs spreading. Viruses can also transfer to your hands from surfaces such as taps and door handles then can enter the body through the nose.
More references

1. Com: 7 kinds of cough and what they might mean: http://www.health.com/cold-flu-sinus/whats-causing-your-cough
2. Benadryl: treatments for night cough: https://www.benadryl.com.au/cough-remedies/treatment-for-night-coughs
3. Health line: how to stop coughing at night: http://www.healthline.com/health/coughing-at-night#overview1