Coughing is a natural reaction to getting something stuck in your throat, nasal passages, or elsewhere. It helps to clear out whatever is bothering you. However, it can also be painful. There are different reasons why your head hurts when you cough and measures that help deal with the pain while you recover. Thankfully, most of them are temporary and will disappear within a few days. Coughing is an involuntary reaction to expel something in your body through your respiratory tract as it causes discomfort or pain. When you cough, several things happen: air pressure builds up in your lungs; muscles in the back of your throat contract and lift the uvula (the grape-shaped appendage is hanging from the back of your throat); and mucus membranes contract to expel mucus from your lungs so that air can pass easily through them. Furthermore this blog will guide you through the question “Why Does My Head Hurt When I Cough”? And when to visit the doctor?
Types of cough headache –
A cough headache can be caused by a migraine, sinus headache, or an allergic reaction. Migraine is the main reason “why your head hurts when you cough” and is often accompanied by vomiting, and sensitivity to lights and sound.
Cough headache is of two types, including —
Primary cough headache is a normal condition in the cold. It is caused by cutting a lot which loses the muscles and causes headaches. It can be treated without any medications on its own.
Secondary cough headache Ranges from harmless to life fatal. It triggers by coughing in the body.
Why Does My Head Hurt When I Cough?
When you cough, your diaphragm and abdominal muscles contract and squeeze blood out of your brain. When there isn’t enough blood in your brain, you experience a headache.
As coughing is a common symptom that people experience when they have a cold, it can also cause headaches.
Coughing can also cause headaches, leading to muscle soreness in the back of the throat. Your back or throat muscles can become very sore when you cough for long periods.
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Tenderness and Pain in the Back of Your Throat
You may feel discomfort & pain in the back of your throat when you cough.
It may start as tenderness and turn into pain when you cough. This happens when you cough too much or while your throat is dry. When your throat is dry, it results in excessive contraction of the muscles in the back of your throat.
It can also cause a lot of mucus build-up in your throat.
Coughing with a dry throat can lead to a lot of pain because of the excess movement of your muscles.
Making sure to cough with a moist throat can help alleviate your throat’s pain from coughing. To create a moist environment in your throat, you can drink plenty of water or herbal teas to keep your throat hydrated. You can also use tablets to make your throat more moisturized.
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Uneven Lung Expansion When You Cough
When you cough, your lungs may expand unevenly, resulting in a headache.
When one side of your lungs expands more than the other, it can put pressure on your head, resulting in a headache.
To prevent unequal expansion in your lungs when you cough, you can make sure to cough while sitting upright.
Coughing while sitting upright helps ensure that both sides of your lungs expand evenly while coughing.
You can also make sure to cough with a closed mouth so that the air in your lungs doesn’t go back into your throat when you cough.
Coughing with a closed mouth reduces the amount of air that goes back into your throat. This ensures that the air goes out of your mouth instead of back into your lungs.
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Incorrect Breath Technique When You Cough
Another cause of headaches from coughing may be due to incorrect breath technique.
You may have developed an incorrect breath technique after years of coughing with the same habits.
If you’ve been coughing with the same technique for years, and it has now started to cause you pain, there are a few things you can do to alleviate the pain.
You can try to change your coughing by taking a few deep breaths before coughing. You can also try coughing while sitting upright.
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Muscles Strain When You Cough
When you cough, your diaphragm and abdominal muscles contract, which makes them tense. When they become tense, they may be sore, leading to a headache.
To prevent muscle strain when you cough, you can make sure to cough with a closed mouth.
Coughing with a closed mouth reduces the amount of air that goes back into your throat when you cough. This ensures that the air goes out of your mouth instead of back into your lungs.
You can also sit upright when you cough so that both sides of your lungs expand evenly. Coughing while sitting upright helps ensure that both sides of your lungs expand evenly while coughing.
Also Read: Suffering from Headache (Shirashul) – Ayurvedic Treatment.
When to see a doctor?
When you have muscle soreness in your back or throat, you may experience headaches. However, if you experience a severe and sudden headache, you should Consult your doctor or health care provider. The following are the few other conditions that need medical attention as they can be a life hazard.
- A skull defect
- Brain tumor
- cerebrospinal fluid leakage
- Any congenital defect in the brain
- weakening of blood vessels in the brain
Final Words: Takeaway Messages
Coughing is a common symptom of many colds, allergies, or infections. It’s a natural reaction designed to clear the airways of mucus, bacteria, and other unwanted substances. Coughing can also cause headaches, pain in the back of the throat, uneven lung expansion, incorrect breath technique, and muscle strain. Make sure you drink plenty of water and use tablets to keep your throat moist so that coughing does not become painful. You can also make sure to cough while sitting upright and with a closed mouth to prevent uneven lung expansion, incorrect. This blog would have cleared your question of “Why Does My Head Hurt When I Cough”? And when to visit the doctor?
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