What are the causes of severe coughing while lying down?

Coughing is a common disease that is difficult to treat. Some patients may cough even when lying flat. This is mainly caused by the lifting of the abdominal organs and diaphragm. In this case, the relaxation of the lungs is restricted to a certain extent, so the cough at night will be more severe than during the day. This is mainly because night is the best time for the lungs to detoxify, and coughing is also a way of detoxification.

1. Coughing is more severe when lying down : When you sleep at night, because your body is in a lying position, the abdominal organs and the diaphragm (the boundary between the chest and abdomen) are pulled up, which can lead to restricted lung relaxation. Therefore, coughing symptoms are more severe at night than during the day.

2. The lungs need to be detoxified at night: Coughing can clear foreign objects in the throat and bronchi, and is also a way for the body to detoxify. 3-5 a.m. is the best time for the lungs to detoxify, so when there is a cough, many people cough most violently at this time.

3. Blood and Qi circulation at night: 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. is when the body's blood and Qi flow to the lung meridian. At this time, the lungs begin to self-regulate and repair. A slight cough at this time is a normal phenomenon. However, if you smoke, your cough will be more severe at night.

4. Nocturnal vagus nerve excitement: The nerves around the bronchi of the lungs include the vagus nerve. At night, the vagus nerve is relatively active. The excitement of the vagus nerve will increase the secretions of the trachea and bronchial tubes of the lungs and stimulate the contraction of the tracheal and bronchial smooth muscles. Therefore, when there is a cough, the cough will be relatively severe at night.

5. Improper diet before going to bed: If you consume spicy and irritating food for a long time, it is easy to cause excessive lung fire and cause coughing. Especially eating too much before going to bed at night may cause the stomach and intestines to not get proper rest and cause food accumulation cough. If the cough at night is caused by indigestion, you can feel phlegm in the throat.

6. The air in the sleeping environment is dry and poorly circulated: When sleeping at night, many people are accustomed to closing doors and windows, resulting in turbid indoor air, low oxygen content, and high waste content, which stimulates lung coughing. You should open the windows for ventilation before going to bed, and keep the windows open when sleeping to facilitate air circulation. In addition, it is recommended to dry water in the bedroom or place some green plants outside the window before going to bed, and water them frequently to effectively maintain indoor humidity.

7. Allergic reaction to sleeping items : If you cough rarely or not at all during the day, but start coughing at night, you may need to consider respiratory allergies, which may be related to the quilts and pillows used. The allergens may be cotton wool, dust, mites, etc. Treatment method: Regularly cleaning the quilt and maintaining indoor humidity can effectively relieve allergies.