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Staying hydrated is essential to good health and may be even more important when you are sick. Drinking water may also help to soothe your dry cough by moistening your throat. Aim to drink eight 8-ounce glasses (about 2 liters) of water per day to stay hydrated. Warm fluids can also help you stay hydrated. Drink teas, broths, and clear soups to soothe your cough and keep you hydrated. Getting plenty of rest will also support your body as it heals. Make sure that you are getting at least eight hours of sleep every night. If you have a cold or other contagious illness, then you may want to take a day off from work to rest and recover. Adequate nutrition is also essential to recover from an illness, so make sure that you are eating healthy foods. Steer clear of junk foods. Instead, choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein for nourishment. Try eating chicken noodle soup for one of your daily meals. This traditional home remedy has even been shown to reduce inflammation and thin mucus. . Sometimes a dry cough may be due to smoking or made worse by smoking. If you smoke, do what you can to quit. Talk to your doctor about medications and smoking cessations programs that may make it easier for you to quit smoking. After you quit smoking, you may also get a dry cough. This indicates that your body is trying to heal itself and it should improve with time. Sucking on a throat lozenge or even a hard candy may help to soothe your dry cough. The lozenge or hard candy increases saliva production and helps to moisten a dry throat. Other ingredients in medicated cough drops may also help to suppress a cough. In many situations, a dry cough will go away within a week or two. If your cough does not improve or if it gets worse, call your physician. Call your doctor right away if you notice: A thick and/or a greenish-yellow phlegm Wheezing A whistling sound at the beginning or end of your breath Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath A fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) Blood in any phlegm or mucus that you cough up Abdominal swelling Sudden onset of a violent cough
Drink plenty of water. Get plenty of rest. Eat nutritious foods. Quit smoking Suck on cough drops or hard candies. See a doctor for a persistent or severe cough.