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Alleviating Your Dry Cough Once It Begins
One of the most common and well-known symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a hacking, dry cough that tends to worsen as the disease progresses. For some patients, this was one of the first alarming symptoms of their disease, while others don’t seem to suffer from this regularly. I am one of the latter of these two patients, although once my dry cough is triggered, it can be very difficult to get relief.
I know some patients who have unfortunately cracked ribs as a result of coughing, and others who burn more calories in a day coughing than most people do working full-time or exercising. The type (ie. dry or productive) and frequency of a patient’s cough can be as individualized as their disease, along with what triggers it to begin. Similarly, the things that alleviate a cough for a patient with PF can also vary; meaning some things will work for some patients while others won’t.
If you suffer regularly from a dry cough due to your PF, how do you alleviate it once it begins?
Despite PF being very different from asthma, there are some patients out there who use ventolin or other types of rescue inhalers to alleviate their cough. Some patients have to stop what they are doing and rest, while others focus on deep breathing techniques through meditation or guided imagery. There is no right or wrong way to alleviate your cough, and each patient must identify what works best for them to get some relief.
If you’ve found a tip or trick that is particularly effective in giving you relief from your cough, please share it with us!
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4 Replies
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I use codene tablets and steam.
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Hi Brian,
Thanks for getting in touch and sharing your experience about alleviating the pesky dry cough!
I never even thought of steam, and I bet some steam with eucalyptus added would be nice too. I’ll have to give this a try, and if it works, you’ve just given me a reason to visit my favourite spa 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Charlene.
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I have a cough only occasionally and drink hot coffee. It works for me.
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Hi Cooper,
Thanks for sharing your experience with this. Having coffee to alleviate a cough is something I could get used to for sure. I am a big coffee drinker! I am like you and only have the dry cough occasionally, and dreading the day it gets worse or more frequent. Glad to hear this solution as it isn’t one I’d come across yet!
Cheers,
Charlene.
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