Cough

Summary

Coughing is a reflex that keeps your throat and airways clear. Although it can be annoying, coughing helps your body heal or protect itself. Coughs can be either acute or chronic. Acute coughs begin suddenly and usually last no more than 2 to 3 weeks. Acute coughs are the kind you most often get with a cold, flu, or acute bronchitis. Chronic coughs last longer than 2 to 3 weeks. Causes of chronic cough include:

• Chronic bronchitis
• Asthma
• Allergies
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
• Smoking
• Throat disorders, such as croup in young children
• Some medicines

Water can help ease your cough – whether you drink it or add it to the air with a steamy shower or vaporizer. If you have a cold or the flu, antihistamines may work better than non-prescription cough medicines. Children under four should not have cough medicine. For children over four, use caution and read labels carefully.

Find an Expert

• American Lung Association American Lung Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bronchoscopy and Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) National Library of Medicine
• Cough Culprits: What’s the Difference Between Bronchitis and Pneumonia? National Institutes of Health
• Sputum Culture National Library of Medicine
• Tests for Lung Disease National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Encyclopedia

• Chest x-ray Medical Encyclopedia
• Sputum Gram stain Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Chronic Cough Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Coughing up Blood Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Health Check Tools

• Cough American Academy of Family Physicians

Start Here

• Cough Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Patient Handouts

• Cough Medical Encyclopedia
• Coughing up blood Medical Encyclopedia

Related Issues

• Cough Headaches Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Marvels of Mucus and Phlegm: The Slime That Keeps You Healthy National Institutes of Health

Children

• Cough in Children American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
• Coughing (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Croup: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Healthy Habits to Help Protect against Flu Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Treatments and Therapies

• Honey: An Effective Cough Remedy? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• How to Handle a Cough Nemours Foundation

Journal Articles

• Cough