All the postnasal drainage and mucus you swallow during the day backs up and irritates your throat when you lay down at night. Try to defy gravity by propping yourself up on some pillows while you sleep. Another reason why coughs get worse at night is acid reflux. Two-plus weeks of coughing is quite common in most cases of viral respiratory infections such as mine, says Matthew Mintz, an internist with George Washington Medical Faculty Associates.
The average duration of cough, according to a recent study, is 18 days. When there is an accumulation of mucus, you tend to cough it up. Although the cause is often a response to a viral infection or an allergy, coughing up mucus could be an indication of a bacterial infection.
While uncomfortable, the coughing is actually a good response. It helps clear much mucus from the air tubes. The yellow color comes from the cells — white blood cells, for example — rushing to kill the offending germs. Your illness may last anywhere from 10 to 14 days, but keep an eye on your nasal discharge. Coughing that starts out dry is often the first sign of acute bronchitis.
Small amounts of white mucus may be coughed up if the bronchitis is viral. Menthol helps cool the airway passages and soothe the throat.
They use pectin or honey to coat and calm the throat. Most cases of menthol poisoning occur because of the ingestion of pure menthol. The menthol is usually watered down and mixed with other ingredients. To put it in perspective, a typical cough drop contains between 3 and 10 milligrams mg of menthol. The lethal dose of menthol is estimated to be roughly 1, mg 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. In other words, someone who weighs pounds 68 kg would likely have to eat more than 6, cough drops containing 10 mg of menthol in a short period of time to risk the chance of a lethal overdose.
However, eating more than the recommended amount of cough drops or anything for that matter can result in a few unwanted symptoms. If you manage to eat a very large amount of cough drops, you might experience the following symptoms:. There has been one report of a man who experienced serious symptoms after eating 2 entire bags of menthol cough drops every day for 20 years. He experienced:. Keep in mind that cough drops also contain a fair amount of sugar.
Eating an excessive amount of cough drops on a regular basis may also lead to weight gain over time. People with diabetes should use extra caution when eating cough drops as they can cause blood sugar to rise.
Sugar-free varieties of cough drops are available, but eating too many of them can have a laxative effect. This is especially true for cough drops that contain a sugar substitute known as sorbitol. Though very unlikely to occur from cough drops, knowing the signs of a medical emergency from an overdose is still very important. The following symptoms are signs of a medical emergency:. An allergic reaction to one or more of the ingredients found in cough drops is also possible.
Call of you notice any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:. You should call or contact the national toll-free Poison Help Line if you think you or someone you know has overdosed on cough drops or another medication. Only one case of death from menthol poisoning has ever been reported in the medical literature.
And if the symptoms are particularly severe, some people may eat a lot of cough drops. Although it is difficult to overdose on them, there are some things to consider before using cough drops or consuming excessive amounts of them. It is a common ingredient in cough drops because it gives a temporary numbing effect that can relieve a sore throat or a cough. The lethal dose is considered to be about 50 to mg of menthol per kilogram kg of body weight. This amount means someone who weighs pounds would need to consume at least to 3, cough drops, containing 10 mg of menthol each, to die from menthol poisoning.
There is no standard limit to how many cough drops can be consumed. This is because the amount of menthol and other ingredients varies between brands. Cough drops should be treated as any medication, by following the information on the label to find out the safe dosage. People who take other medications or who have other health conditions should also ask a doctor before taking cough drops or any new medications.
Menthol is considered to be safe, and cases of poisoning are extremely rare. A few cases of menthol overdose have been cited in medical literature. A study published in Case Reports in Medicine describes an year-old man who was unconscious and taken to the emergency room. After regaining consciousness, doctors determined the person was experiencing:. Doctors discovered that the cause was eating 2 bags of menthol-rich cough drops daily for 20 years.
Most of the symptoms went away after the individual stopped eating the cough drops and had physical therapy. The International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research detailed one instance of fatal peppermint oil poisoning, but it was not from cough drops. A year-old died after inhaling high amounts of peppermint fumes, which contain menthol and other components.
The cause was entering a peppermint oil tank to clean it. The fumes caused unconsciousness, a coma , and seizures. Death occurred after the person was hospitalized for 10 days. There was no evidence of consuming peppermint or menthol but only the toxic effects of breathing unusually high amounts of peppermint fumes. Some people develop a reaction on the skin known as allergic contact dermatitis.
A case reported in Contact Dermatitis discusses a year-old who developed swollen, scaly lips from using toothpaste and throat medicine that contained menthol. Another report in Contact Dermatitis describes two people who had allergic reactions from menthol-containing toothpaste. They experienced swelling and rashes around the mouth that went away after they stopped using the product.
Anaphylaxis , a severe allergic reaction, is possible with exposure to menthol.
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