Dry Cough And Its Reasons

Dry cough is a condition where the there is no phlegm or sputum that comes out during cough . This disease is also known as barking cough and croup . This type of cough develops due to the infection or drying up of the larynx. Larynx is an elastic tissue at the top of the trachea or the windpipe .

Common reasons

Some of the regular and very common reasons for barking cough are dust, allergy,smoke, air pollution etc. There are some other extreme and serious conditions too .

One of them is COPD ( Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

Another condition is known as GERD (Gastro oesophaegal reflex disease) and in the rarest of rare cases , heart disorders may also give rise to dry cough .

Other Reasons

1. Viral Laryngitis:

It is also said that dry cough can be a result of trauma, inflammations , malignancy (tumor) , problems in breathing and other accidents . Dry cough can also be caused due to viral laryngitis , a condition where the mucous membrane of the larynx ( the uppermost portion of the windpipe or trachea) swells up . Intake of powder, dust or any kid of smoke accidentally may also give rise to dry coughs .

2. Bad habbits: Dry cough can be an indication of an already existing infection or respiratory disorder. Ill habits like smoking cigarettes and intake of drugs like marijuana also leads to dry cough very easily. These bad habits can lead a person to chronic dry cough that exists for a long period of time and is quite difficult to be treated. Flu, cold climatic conditions gives birth to short term acute dry coughs. These are easily treatable .

3. Viruses: This non productive cough which is also called as dry tickly cough , is most commonly occurred due to cold and flu viruses. The viruses that enter our body through touch and specifically through our hands , enter the respiratory system and move towards the pharynx ( back throat) and larynx( upper) area . When the body is incapable of resisting these viruses , they cause inflammation on the tissues .

4. Mocus: In all the parts of the respiratory track except the larynx , a considerable amount of mucus is produced as a resistance to infections. This gives rise to extreme irritation and the cough reflex ultimately results into a dry cough. Pollen grains , dust particles stuck in the larynx area of the wind pipe may also give rise to a dry cough . Irritation in the larynx portion begins when the dust particle or the pollen that enters the respiratory system gets stuck or trapped by the mucus lining or layer of the throat or the larynx which is the upper portion of the throat .

Other Peculiar Causes of Dry Cough

Some medicines consumed for high blood pressure also leads to dry coughs during certain occasions . There is an allergy caused due to exposure to grass and the tree pollen or pollen grains . This allergy is known as hay-fever. Hay-fever causes infection and inflammation of the eyes and nose . This can also lead to dry cough in the later stages of hay-fever.