14 Surprising Dry Cough Causes

When you have a dry cough, the first thing that you will probably consider as a potential cause is a cold or flu. While it is true that an upper respiratory infection is the most probable cause of a dry cough, there are other reasons that you might not have considered. In fact, there are some reasons for getting a dry cough the may actually surprise you. These are reasons that most people do not even realize have the potential to cause a dry cough. Let’s look at these surprising reasons, so that if you have ruled out cold or flu as the culprit, there are still some ideas that you can pursue as to what is causing your dry cough. If you can figure out what the problem is, then you have a decent chance of eliminating whatever it is that is making you cough.

1. Allergies

One of the causes of dry cough that may surprise you is allergies. Many people get allergy – or “hayfever” reactions in the United States. There are a number of causes for allergies, including pet dander and pollen. The problem is, when most people experience these symptoms, they are restricted to things like itchy and watery eyes and sneezing. A dry cough only happens in a small percentage of cases where the cause can be traced to allergies. It depends upon how your body reacts to the allergens, as well as what the allergen actually is. For example, some forms of mold will cause your lungs to react as well as trigger other allergy symptoms. If you normally suffer from allergies, then consider this is a potential cause. You may be able to take an antihistamine in order to combat these allergy symptoms to a certain extent.