Did you know that the human body is composed of approximately 60% water? This makes proper hydration essential for overall health. While many are familiar with the common symptoms of dehydration such as thirst, fatigue, irritability, and dizziness, fewer people recognize the impact it can have on respiratory health. Staying hydrated can alleviate coughs and improve lung function, highlighting the crucial role water plays in maintaining a healthy respiratory system
A recent study found a strong link between hydration and cough episodes in healthy children. This study found that cough episodes increased from 54.2% in children with normal hydration to 93.9% in those with high levels of dehydration. Another study found that hydration also impacts the duration of a coughing episode.
Understanding the link between drinking water and recovering from a cough is important to recovery. Here are three ways the amount of water you drink affects your lungs.
Mucus production is part of your body's essential defence mechanisms, helping to protect your airways. Mucus is produced to trap irritants and pathogens, or bad bacteria and viruses in the respiratory system so that they can be expelled. Healthy mucus is thin, but when you are dehydrated, the mucus can become thick and more difficult for your body to remove. Hydration levels play a vital role in determining this consistency, keeping mucus loose and moveable once it has done its job.
Once the mucus has captured the irritants and pathogens responsible for giving you a cough, they must be removed. This entire process is called mucociliary clearance. Removal is the job of tiny hairs called cilia. These cilia beat in a regular and coordinated rhythm to get their job done as efficiently as possible. When you become dehydrated the mucus becomes sticky and hyper-concentrated, creating an imbalance on the surface of your airway. This imbalance puts pressure on the cilia, slowing down their beat frequency and reducing how efficiently they can remove the mucus. This can worsen your cough and increase the chances of infection and other complications.
Hydration also plays an important role in cell function across your entire body, including in your immune cells. It is also important in the production of lymph, the fluid that transports your immune cells around the body. Good hydration means these cells can travel efficiently around your body, reaching sites of infection quickly.
Making sure you take in enough fluids is important when you are managing or recovering from a cough. Drinking enough water ensures your body has enough moisture to support both mucus production and clearance, enhances your immune system, and helps your body to heal. So, next time you have a cough, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water in addition to picking up some Prospan.
