Dry Cough: Should You Really Be Worried?

Coughing when out in public make people anxious, moreso when it’s the hacking, repeated kind which is dry cough.  It doesn’t immediately mean you are seriously ill because you don’t have fever--three fourths of COVID cases have fever.  But that itchy, irritating sensation of dry cough is uncontrollable sometimes.  Why does this happen and what can you do to calm it down? Read on to learn more.

WHAT IT IS & WHY IT HAPPENS

The cough (ubo) is a natural body response. “When mucus, germs, and dust irritate the throat and airway, your body responds by coughing…it is an important human reflex that helps protect your airway and lungs. Occasional coughing is normal. Coughing helps clear your throat and airway from bugs, mucus, and dust.” (2)

There are two types of coughs - the wet or productive cough which brings up phlegm that helps clear the airways of irritants, and the dry or non-productive cough that does not bring up any phlegm or mucus. Dry cough may cause you to feel a tickling sensation and are often due to irritation in the throat. (3) Read on to learn more about dry cough and which cough medicine can best address it.

DRY COUGH: WHAT CAUSES IT & WHEN IT IS A CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Post-Nasal Drip, viral infections, as well as conditions like asthma, allergies, and GERD can all cause dry cough (tuyong ubo).

• Post Nasal Drip. When mucus from the nose and sinuses drips down the back of the throat, it can trigger a cough. Although often productive, this cough can sometimes also be dry. (7)  This occurs with a sinus infection or due to a nasal allergy, such as hay fever.
• Viral Infections. When you have a viral infection like the flu, dry cough is a symptom, along with fever, sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, and headache. (4) Whether it’s because of the flu or just severe colds (sipon), these headaches are caused by fluid build-up in your sinuses and nasal passages, making them swollen and causing pain-inducing pressure.(5)
• GERD.  Dry cough can also happen when the throat gets constantly irritated like when someone has (GERD) Gastroesophageal reflux disease, a condition where acid leaks from the stomach back up into the esophagus, or food pipe. (6)

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR. According to DOH, the presence of cough lasting for more than two weeks already necessitates consultation with a physician. Self-treatment is not recommended for heavy smokers suffering from conditions like chronic bronchitis, very young children, and the elderly. (8)  It is best to see a health care professional when experiencing persistent cough as it may be a symptom of a more serious problem with the lungs, heart, stomach, or nervous system. (9) These are just some of the red flags to keep in mind when you need to see a doctor. With  the pandemic, it is advisable to seek medical help when dry cough is accompanied by fever, the most common symptom of COVID-19 affecting 78% of confirmed COVID cases, according to a meta-analysis of 24,000 COVID cases. (10)

REMEDY FOR IMMEDIATE HELP & RELIEF FROM DRY COUGH

If you have dry cough for a few days, a trusted cough medicine (gamot sa ubo) you can try is TUSERAN. (11) Unlike other medicines that are formulated to relieve only one ailment, it has a multi-stopping formula that combines clinically-proven ingredients that are more potent in stopping cough, as well as colds and headaches that frequently accompany cough. And there are two types you can choose from.

[Dextromethorphan HBr, Phenylpropanolamine HCl Paracetamol]
Tuseran Forte
Formulated with:

• DXM (Detxromethorphan) is a proven cough suppressant that has been shown in clinical researches to reduce cough count.  Other cough molecules have not been proven to be as potent in stopping cough.

• PPA (Phenylpropanolamine) stops nasal secretions and prevents clogging of nasal passages. It’s also been proven to be superior to phenylephrine.

• Paracetamol is a tried and tested pain reliever that’s as potent as NSAIDs (a class of drugs including Ibuprofen) but deemed safer.

[Diphenhydramine HCl, PhenylpropanolamineHCl]
Tuseran Night
Resting is important for recovery and so this syrup aids sound sleep.  Better than other cough medicines that don’t have sedative properties, Tuseran Night helps you sleep while stopping cough, colds, and itchy throat.  Formulated with

• Diphenhydramine is a cough suppressant & an antihistamine with sedating properties to help you sleep.

• PPA (Phenylpropanolamine) stops nasal secretions and prevents clogging of nasal passages. It’s also been proven to be superior to phenylephrine.

Both of these medicines work in as fast as 15minutes. And you enjoy relief from dry cough and other symptoms that accompany it for as long as 6 hours. They are available in major drugstores like Mercury, Watsons, South Star or Rose Pharmacy.

If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.