As someone with chronic bronchitis, I know what it’s like to be plagued by a persistent dry cough. It’s not only annoying (to both me and anyone else around), but it’s also painful and just down right uncomfortable. Of course, even if your bronchial tubes aren’t inflamed, you can still experience a dry cough. Common triggers include seasonal and year-round allergies, like pollen, dust, and pet dander, as well as colds, the flu, and Covid-19.
Point being, a dry cough can be caused by a number of things—but it can also be cured with a variety of treatments, too. Which brings us to today’s topic: dry cough remedies. Ahead, learn how to stop coughing by uncovering home remedies for a cough, the best cough medicine, and more.
What is a dry cough?
A dry cough is exactly as it sounds. “It’s one that does not produce sputum, or phlegm,” says family medicine physician Marjan Koosha Johnson, DO. With a lack of mucus, dry coughs can tickle the throat, which can then trigger more coughing spells.
According to Dr. Johnson, dry coughs can fall into one of two categories: acute or chronic. Where acute dry coughs are short-lived, chronic coughs are persistent or they regularly reappear. Where acute dry coughs are typically associated with some type of upper respiratory infection or irritation and resolve on their own within a few weeks, chronic dry coughs last more than eight weeks and can be triggered by a number of things.