It is common knowledge that a cough causes great physical discomfort. Several muscles become involved after you get that tickle in your throat and start coughing. In fact, the physical exertion can be so great that often, after a coughing spell, you feel quite winded and exhausted.
And because of this exertion, coughing can spawn other pains and difficulties as well. Discussed below are five of these resulting discomforts, along with their remedies.
1. Headache
At times, coughing can be accompanied by a headache. However, you could also get a headache simply because of how strenuously your whole body jerks as you cough.
To treat a headache caused by coughing, massage your head. Knead your head where it hurts and pull that kneading down to the back of your ears, the base of your neck, and then toward your clavicles. This massaging motion will improve the circulation of your blood and support lymph drainage as well.
Another thing you can do to experience relief from a headache is to apply a cold compress on your head to relax the tensed veins.
2. Chest pain
You can suffer a heartburn from coughing too hard. Gas can get trapped in your chest because of a hacking cough. Also, the sheer physical effort of coughing can be quite a workout for the chest.
To ease chest pain due to coughs, it helps to take a hot bath, especially before bed. This is one of the best home remedies for cough because it can help you decongest and relax strained muscles.
In addition, massage your chest with chest rub ointment. The eucalyptus, menthol, and camphor in this topical product can clear the air passages, and this will allow you to breathe easier.
3. Sore and raw throat
Coughing spells can leave your throat feeling sore and raw. At times, your throat may even bleed.
To treat a bad throat, the key is to keep it moist, so that means staying hydrated. Drink warm water frequently. If you want to make your drinking water more effective in alleviating the soreness of your throat, add some honey to it. Honey has antibacterial properties and can hasten healing.
When you get tired of drinking plain water, drink ginger, lemon, and honey tea. This beverage is rich in vitamin C and will help disinfect and heal the raw lining of the esophagus.
Another tea option is green tea with lemon. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants that can boost your immune system and speed up your recovery from a bad cough.
4. Back pain
The chest pain and back pain you experience when you have a cough are caused by the same thing, so a similar remedy is sure to work.
Back massage with a cough rub ointment can bring great relief. The careful kneading of back muscles will undo tension knots caused by coughing. Along with that, the back massage will help improve blood circulation and lymph drainage.
Older people recommend covering your back with a towel after massaging it with the ointment to trap in the heat. The heat is supposed to help with decongestion and regulate body temperature. While there is no scientific evidence proving the efficacy of this remedy, it has been known to make a person feel more comfortable, so it would not hurt to give it a try.
5. Difficulty sleeping
When you are sick, sleep really does not come easily. And when you have a cough, getting proper rest is difficult to do not only due to the disturbing incessant coughing, but also because of breathing difficulty.
To sleep better when you have a cough, it helps to turn on an air purifier and humidifier to prevent your nasal passage and throat from becoming dry.
Also, use a higher pillow to make breathing easier, especially if you’re feeling quite congested. A higher pillow will keep your air passage open.
And lastly, keep a cup of warm water by your bedside. If you find yourself coughing non-stop in the middle of the night, sips of warm water can help put a halt to your coughing spell.
It’s important to mention that the remedies provided here only bring temporary relief. So, if you want longer-lasting relief from all these discomforts due to a cough, remember to take 24-hour relief cough medicine. This solution will make the coughing and all the other physical discomforts it causes cease. You will be able to go about your day without much disturbance, and sleep so much better at night, both of which you need to speed up your healing.