Cough

Cough | NHS inform Home Illnesses and conditions Symptoms and self-help Tests and treatments Healthy living Care, support and rights Scotlands Service Directory 0 Home Illnesses and conditions Lungs and airways Cough Cough British Sign Language (BSL) |  |  | Polski | Romn |  Return to Symptoms Enter age Last Updated: Next Review Date: Review my answers Find your local services Search for a service near you by entering your postcode below. Please input your postcode in the following format: A12 1BC GP Practices Dental Services Pharmacies Opticians Postcode Search NHS inform has more information on this condition. Read more Previous Start guide Review my answers  You told us your credentials were: : You said: Based on the information you gave us, we made the following recommendation: Close Keep a copy View PDF A cough is a reflex action to clear your airways of mucus and irritants such as dust or smoke. Its rarely a sign of anything serious. Most coughs clear up within 3 weeks and dont require any treatment. A dry cough means itstickly and doesnt produceany phlegm(thick mucus). A chesty cough meansphlegm is produced to help clear your airways. Cough self-help guide Complete our self-help guide to check your symptoms and find out what to do next. Speak to a pharmacist for: advice about coughs cough treatments Find your local pharmacy Speak to a GP if: youve had a cough for more than 3 weeks your cough is particularly severe youcough up blood you experience shortness of breath, breathing difficulties or chest pain you have any other worrying symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, a persistent change in your voice,orlumps or swellings in your neck If your GP is unsure whats causing your cough, they may refer you to a hospital specialist for an assessment. They may also request some tests, such asa chest X-ray , allergy tests, breathing tests, and an analysis of a sample of your phlegm to check for infection. If youre concerned about coronavirus (COVID-19):visit our coronaviruspage . Short-term coughs Common causes of a short-term cough include: an upperrespiratory tract infection(URTI) that affects the throat, windpipe or sinuses examples area cold , flu , laryngitis , sinusitis or whooping cough a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) that affects your lungs or lower airwaysexamples areacute bronchitis or pneumonia an allergy , such as allergic rhinitis or hay fever a flare-up of a long-term condition such as asthma , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis inhaled dust or smoke coronavirus (COVID-19) In rare cases, a short-term cough may be the first sign of a health condition that causes apersistent cough. Persistentcoughs A persistent cough may be caused by: along-termrespiratory tract infection, such aschronic bronchitis asthma this also usually causes other symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath an allergy smokinga smokers cough can also be a symptom ofCOPD bronchiectasis where the airways of the lungs become abnormally widened postnasal drip mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose, caused by a condition such asrhinitisorsinusitis gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) where the throat becomesirritated by leaking stomach acid a prescribed medicine, such as an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor), which is used to treathigh blood pressure andcardiovascular disease In most cases, a doctor wont worry whether a cough is dry or chesty, but will need to know if you are producing much more or darker phlegm than usual. Rarely, apersistent cough can bea symptom of a more serious condition, such as lung cancer , heart failure , a pulmonaryembolism(blood clot on the lung) or tuberculosis . Coughsin children Coughsin childrenoften have similar causes to those mentioned above. For example, respiratory tract infections,asthma andGORD can all affect children. Causes of coughs that are more common in children than adults include: bronchiolitis amild respiratory tract infection that usually causes cold-like symptoms croup this causes a distinctive barking cough and a harsh sound known as stridor when the childbreathes in whooping cough  look out for symptoms such as intense, hacking bouts of coughing, vomiting, and a whoop sound with each sharp intake of breath after coughing Occasionally, a persistent cough in a child can be asign of a serious long-term condition, such as cystic fibrosis . Read more about what to do if your child has cold or flu symptoms Cough treatments Treatment isnt always necessary for short-term coughs because its likely to be a viral infection that will getbetter on its own within a few weeks. Do rest drink plenty of fluids take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen Cough medicines and remedies Although some people find them helpful,medicines that claim to suppress your cough or stop you bringing up phlegm are not usually recommended. This is becausetheres little evidence to suggest theyre any betterthan simple home remedies, and theyre not suitable for everyone. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recommends that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldnt be given to children under the age of six. Children aged 6 to 12 should only use them on the advice of a pharmacist or doctor. Ahomemade remedy containing honey and lemon is likely to be just as useful and safer to take. Honey shouldnt be given to babies under the age of one because of the risk of infant botulism. Treating the underlying cause If your cough has a specific cause, treating this may help. For example: asthmacan be treatedwithinhaledsteroidsto reduce inflammation inyour airways allergies can be treated by avoiding things youre allergic to and takingantihistaminesto dampen down your allergic reactions bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics GORD can be treated withantacidsto neutralise your stomach acid and medication to reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces COPD can be treated withbronchodilators to widen your airways If you smoke, quittingis also likely to help improve your cough. Read more about stopping smoking . Contact your GP or, if your GPs closed, phone 111 if your child: is under 3 months old and has a temperature of 38C or above is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or above has fewer wet nappies or nappies that seem drier than usual or has a dry nappy for over 12 hours isnt getting better after a few days is taking less than half their usual amount during their last 2 or 3 feeds If youre very concerned about your child trust your instincts and phone your GP or 111 for advice, or phone 999 in an emergency. Source: NHS 24 - Opens in new browser window Last updated: 10 February 2023 How can we improve this page? Help us improve NHS inform Thank You Your feedback has been received Dont include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions. Email Address e.g. you@example.com Message Maximum of 500 characters Send feedback Other languages and formats British Sign Language (BSL) |  |  | Polski | Romn |  British Sign Language (BSL) |  |  | Polski | Romn |  Add this page to\n            Info For Me Also on NHS inform Whooping cough Search for your nearest pharmacy Enter a place or postcode NHS inform About NHS inform Editorial policy Contact us Webchat Give feedback about NHS inform Info for Me tool Terms and conditions Privacy and cookies policy Freedom of information (FOI) Accessibility Other languages and formats  2023 NHS 24  v1.1.1.17852