All About Dry cough & Natural Remedies.
As the weather starts getting colder we start experiencing cough and cold.Cough is the second most common symptom reported in primary care physician practice in India The cough experienced may be of either type: Dry cough or wet cough.
What Does a Dry Cough mean?
Dry cough or unproductive cough doesn’t produce mucus or phlegm. It may feel like one is experiencing a tickle in the throat that ultimately triggers a cough reflex, which gives rise to dry or hacking cough. A dry cough is faced by individuals because there’s inflammation or irritation in the respiratory tract, but there’s no excess mucus to cough up.
What Causes a Dry Cough?
Dry cough is often caused by upper respiratory infections, such as cold or flu. It’s very common for dry cough to last several weeks after a cold or flu. Few of the other causes of dry cough include:
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Sinusitis
- Croup
- Sore throat
- Tonsillitis
- Laryngitis
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Exposure to irritants, like pollution, smoke and dust
What are the symptoms of Dry cough?
Person experiencing a dry cough, may feel a tickling sensation in the throat. One may try to clear the throat by coughing. Also one can forcefully try to expel air, this can further aggravate the throat to make it irritated and dry.
Types of dry cough
There are mainly five types of dry cough which are as follows:
- The tickly cough: Few people may experience tickling, an irritating feeling in their throat, that leads to persistent cough. This may be the result of inflammation caused from the cold or flu virus or by atmospheric factors such as pollution or climate. Postnasal drip, which also involves mucus dripping down from the sinuses to the back of the throat, may cause this type of cough.
- The barking cough: This type of cough is very similar to the woof of a pup. It can also occur during the day or night time, alongside wheezing and coughing. Inflammation after the cold or flu can also cause this type of cough, in addition this may cause pain too.
- Cough that doesn’t subside: A cough affecting you for a very long time is a chronic cough. This type of cough tends to worsen during the day time and may lead to coughing fits. It can be painful and persistent, leading to pulled muscles or incontinence in older patients.
- Wheezy cough: Wheezing cough is usually worse at night or when you wake up and can occur with wheezing sound (a high-pitched sound similar to a whistle). The wheezing sound is due to the tightening of the airways or asthma.
- Plum pit cough: Some people may also experience a persistent feeling of a lump in the throat. This lump doesn’t go away even when you swallow, and this coughing may give a slightly acidic taste. This cough may be due to GERD (a condition that causes stomach acid to rise to the oesophagus) or acid reflux.
One of the easiest formulations to be formulated is a herbal syrup. It’s also a very useful preparation as it has a high rate of patient compliance and ease of administration.
Phytoheal syrup is one of the best nutraceutical products which is a plant based effective aid for dry coughs containing marshmallow root extract.
Key ingredient
Marshmallow- Althea officinalis
Marshmallow root contains high quantities of mucilage, a gelatinous substance that helps to soothe inflammation. The marshmallow plant comprises several compounds like mucilage polysaccharides that have significant biological activity. It also includes flavonoids, phytosterols, tannins and pectin. The roots of marshmallow plants help in curing swelling and pain of the mucous membranes lining the respiratory tract. It also helps in treating dry cough, inflammation in the stomach lining, ulcers, urinary tract inflammation and stones.
Phytoheal syrup
Phytoheal is recommended as a therapeutic herbal medicine (as a demulcent) for dry cough. Phytoheal syrup is a nutraceutical product in India which is specifically formulated to relieve irritation of oral mucosa and pharynx and the resulting dry cough.
It is recommended to take 10 ml thrice a day for the management of dry and irritant cough.
Benefits offered
- Offers Anti-inflammatory and healing properties
- Immediate relief from cough
- Natural option
- Safe in children
- Minimum number of ingredients for transparent effectiveness
- Non-drowsy
Reference:
- https://share.baptisthealth.com/whats-a-dry-cough/
- Mahboubi M. Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis L.) and its potency in the treatment of cough. Complementary medicine research. 2020;27(3):174-83.
- Bonaterra GA, Bronischewski K, Hunold P, Schwarzbach H, Heinrich EU, Fink C, Aziz-Kalbhenn H, Müller J, Kinscherf R. Anti-inflammatory and Anti-oxidative Effects of Phytohustil® and Root Extract of Althaea officinalis L. on Macrophages in vitro. Frontiers in pharmacology. 2020 Mar 17;11:290.
- Kianitalaei A, Feyzabadi Z, Hamedi S, Qaraaty M. Althaea Officinalis in Traditional Medicine and modern phytotherapy. Journal of Advanced Pharmacy Education & Research. 2019;9(S2):155.
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21888-dry-cough-and-chest-tightness
- https://www.healthifyme.com/blog/marshmallow-plant/
- Jurowski K, Krośniak M. The Toxicological Assessment of Content and Exposure of Heavy Metals (Pb and Cd) in Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products with Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis L., radix) from Polish Pharmacies. Toxics. 2022 Apr 13;10(4):188.
- https://www.medicalexpressclinic.co.uk/blog/dry-cough
