Q. Severe night-time cough — does treatment differ by cause?
Yes — reflux cough, post-nasal drip, bronchial hypersensitivity etc. each require different prescriptions. Treatment is customized after accurate diagnosis.
📝 Detailed Answer
A night-time cough is a good clue for narrowing down the cause.
If it worsens from the moment you lie down, we look at post-nasal drip or acid reflux. That is because when you lie down, nasal discharge runs down the back of the throat and acid rises easily. In this case sleeping with the upper body slightly raised makes a difference.
If it worsens in the small hours and there is a wheezing sound, we check the asthma side. Asthma has the characteristic of the airways narrowing in the small hours.
If it responds to cold air or dry air, we look at a state of airway hypersensitivity. Humidification helps.
As the prescription and the lifestyle management differ by cause, we ask about this part in detail. If you remember since when, in which posture, and on doing what it worsens, it helps.
Expert Verified
Hyo-seop Kim
Chief Director