It is important to pay attention to sensations or behaviors that precipitate your cough (e.g. tightness in the throat, throat dryness, throat “tickle,” etc.). Whenever you feel one of your “triggers” or the urge to cough, do any or all of the following things:
- Take a small sip of water.
- Swallow HARD.
- Sniff in through your nose and immediately swallow hard.
- Exhale slowly and forcefully through your mouth, and inhale through the nose. Place more focus on the exhalation phase of breathing rather than the inhalation phase.
- Take ice chips or small sips of cold water.
After the best strategy is determined, it is important to engage in 4-5 short periods of active cough suppression per day. This will enable you to pay more attention to delaying or suppressing the cough rather than simply focusing on the frequency and severity of the cough!