It's not too early
I was tossed all night last night
Feeling weak all over
▼
Night cough painy
I hope you will never understand
I can't hold it back
Coughing and coughing
Mostly
The stomach is "protesting"
There is a “valve” between the stomach and esophagus called the cardia, which normally prevents food and stomach acid from flowing upward. When the “valve” malfunctions or abdominal pressure increases, stomach acid will flow back into the esophagus or even into the throat.
Because the esophagus and trachea share the same nervous system, when the throat is irritated by refluxed stomach acid, it is like sprinkling “invisible chili powder” into the respiratory tract, and the person will activate the coughing reflex to try to clear the irritant.
This cough often has the following characteristics:
- “Unable to lie flat” (worsened when lying flat)
- It is easy to attack after eating (especially eating greasy food)
- Frequent awakenings at night
- Often heartburn or a foreign body sensation in the throat
- Conventional cough medicines are not effective
To improve symptoms, you can try a few tips:
1. Adjust your lifestyle
- When sleeping, raise the pillow by 15-20 cm
- Avoid lying down within 2 hours after a meal
- Reduce intake of coffee, chocolate, and citrus foods
2. Diet management
- Eat smaller meals instead of binge eating
- Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption (nicotine and alcohol can aggravate reflux)
3. Timely medical signal
- Symptoms last for more than 8 weeks
- Weight loss and difficulty swallowing
- Cough with blood-streaked or yellow-green sputum
About 30% of patients with chronic cough have gastroesophageal reflux problems.
I really couldn’t stop coughing, and the routine respiratory department couldn’t find any problems. I quickly went to see a doctor in another department! It was recommended to go to the gastroenterology department for a 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and an “endoscopic examination” of the stomach, and then prescribe the right medicine.