Coughing is a natural reaction to clear irritants from your throat or respiratory tract, but it can sometimes cause pain. For those wondering, Why does my head hurt when I cough? Well, This occurs due to the build-up of air pressure in the lungs and the contraction of throat muscles and mucus membranes during coughing. While often temporary and resolving within days, understanding the reasons and remedies for this discomfort can help you recover more comfortably. This blog explores the causes and solutions in detail.

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 lead to muscle soreness in the back of the throat. Your back or throat muscles can become very sore when you cough for long periods.

1. Tenderness and Pain in the Back of Your Throat

You may feel discomfort and 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Muscles Strain When You Cough

When you cough, your diaphragm and abdominal muscles contract, which makes them tense. When they become tense, they become 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.

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 healthcare 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 Thoughts

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. However, some people may wonder, why does my head hurt when i cough? This discomfort can be linked to headaches, pain in the back of the throat, uneven lung expansion, incorrect breath technique, and muscle strain caused by the pressure from persistent coughing. 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.