Why Does My Grandma Cough So Much?

Coughing Is something you can’t avoid doing since it’s a way of clearing the airways. However, constant coughs are signs of an underlying issue that you should find a way to manage. If your grandma coughs so much, it cannot be very unpleasant, especially if it’s the dry one.  But then you should look into the possible cause to help her stop suffering since coughing too much makes the throat pain. Going by your grandma’s age, she may not cope with too much pain. So, it would be useful if you did a thorough search into the coughs’ cause, which is never easy. Let’s make your work easier by showing you reasons why your grandma coughs so much.  

Your Grandma Could Be Having Respiratory Infections

Your grandma’s immune system can become weak considering her age, making her vulnerable to constant cold or flu attacks. When your grandma’s respiratory tract has a virus or bacteria, she will cough so much from the irritation they’ll cause in her throat. Given that healing from viral infections takes time, she will cough so much. The irritation in your grandma’s throat can get worse going by the fact there’s no particular cure for viral infection. 

Is Your Grandma a Heavy Smoker?

If your grandma is a smoker, expect her to cough regularly. Understand that the chemical components in cigars or vaporizers’ stick on her throat and are irritating too. With these foreign compounds, which are also irritants in her throat, she won’t be comfortable. To clear her airways, she will have to cough. And because she’s a heavy smoker, it means the deposition around her respiratory tract will be much. Smoking can also make your grandma’s throat painful since it dries off the mucus around that area. It will also interfere with her lungs causing swelling and even irritations leading to so much coughing.

Dry Throat and Mouth

Suppose your grandma has a dry mouth or throat, of which age also is the main contributor she will cough so much. Your grandma’s age can also make her take different medications to sustain her life. The medications can interfere with her saliva secretion making her mouth and throat dry.  Dry throat means your grandma has an itchy and scratchy throat, which results from a lack of enough fluids in the body. She will not be comfortable with a dry throat since it makes her want to constantly scratch it, which is impossible. To relieve her condition, she will have to cough. If she stays long without hydrating, she will cough so much. 

Your Grandma Could Be Asthmatic

If your grandma is asthmatic, you should expect her to cough much, especially when she’s under attack. When she’s under attack, her airways will swell and become rigid. And as she tries to breathe in, the mucus secretion will also increase. The congestion on her airways will force her to cough as she tries to make it clear of mucus and make her breathing easy. Since irritants can increase the possibilities of her attacks, she will cough so often and much.

Your Grandma Might Be Reacting to Allergens

Allergens can make your grandma cough as the strange substance reacts with her body. If she comes into contact with either dust or pollen grains, they will make her throat itchy. As you know, surviving an itchy throat is never easy, and since the allergens are irritants, she will cough in response. The condition can be worse if your grandma is allergic to these substances as it will make her reaction to it bad and with adverse effects.

Check the Kind of Medications Your Grandma Uses

There are certain kinds of medications that can make your grandma cough frequently. Suppose your grandma has high blood pressure; she will use medications to help her manage her condition. The medications inhibit the production of a hormone that makes the blood vessels relax after they become thin. Don’t forget that once your grandma starts taking this medication, she might take them till her last days. Meaning the side effects will live with her throughout, and she will be coughing so much as a result. 

Conclusion

If your grandma coughs so much, she will not be safe since her throat muscles will be hurting as she strains them. To help your grandma understand what makes her cough so much to avoid giving the wrong solution. It could be that she’s asthmatic, a heavy smoker, or has a respiratory infection. Your grandma could also be suffering from the effects of the type of medication she is using.