Everyone has gotten a cough sooner or later of their life. In spite of everything, it’s one of the vital common symptoms of an illness just like the common cold. In these cases, your cough will often start improving in a couple of days, and after a week or two, it’s gone.
But what if you happen to developed a cough several weeks and even a few months ago, and it won’t go away? You could start to wonder, “Can a chronic cough be serious?”
The excellent news is that a long-lasting or chronic cough often isn’t serious and can go away by itself. But depending on the underlying reason behind the cough, getting an official diagnosis from a doctor and starting a treatment plan is vital to getting relief.
So, what could also be causing your cough? And when must you see a doctor? Below, we answer these questions and more.
First, what’s considered a chronic cough?
Most coughs go away on their very own with home treatments – often inside a couple weeks. But when they stick around for greater than 4 weeks in children or greater than eight weeks in adults, they’re considered chronic or persistent.
So, why are you coughing a lot? These are a number of the common causes of chronic coughing
A chronic cough will likely be a sign that something’s bothering a number of parts of your respiratory system – it may very well be your nose, sinuses, throat, airway tubes or lungs.
There are various different conditions which have a chronic cough as a possible symptom. It’s also possible that there could also be a couple of reason on your chronic cough. Generally speaking, causes of chronic coughs will be grouped into a few general categories:
Certain substances can irritate your respiratory system, causing a persistent dry cough
The air we breathe often comprises things like smoke, pollution, dust, mold, pollen or chemicals. And for some people, these substances may cause an allergic response. For others, even clean air that’s too cold or too dry may cause chronic coughs. Chronic coughs brought on by an irritated respiratory system are frequently dry.
Allergies
A cough is one in every of the common symptoms of allergies. (Other symptoms include itchy, watery eyes and a runny nose.) In case your allergies stick around for a very long time, you could possibly find yourself with a chronic cough.
Allergies occur because your body’s immune system reacts to harmless substances, like pollen or cat hair, as in the event that they were dangerous and attack them. There are various treatment options for allergies, and your primary care doctor can assist you work out what might be just right for you.
Asthma
Asthma is a condition by which your airways grow to be inflamed and narrow in response to certain triggers. Common symptoms of asthma are wheezing, trouble respiration and tightness in your chest. Asthma doesn’t all the time cause coughing. Sometimes, the coughing is so severe that it leads to coughing matches.
Some persons are more likely to have asthma attacks during allergy season. Asthma attacks may also be triggered by cold air, exercise, chemicals and fragrances.
There are effective treatments for asthma, including inhalers and over-the-counter nasal sprays like Flonase. For those who think you or your child could have asthma, make an appointment with a primary care doctor or clinician. Primary care doctors can diagnose and treat tons of of conditions, including asthma. They may refer you to an asthma specialist if needed.
Postnasal drip
Postnasal drip is when the mucus in your nose or sinuses drips down the back of your throat. The mucus can tickle the nerves behind your throat, causing a chronic cough. Postnasal drip is a common reason behind a sore throat and could make it difficult to swallow.
Postnasal drip is commonly related to a cold or seasonal allergies. But it may even be brought on by bacterial infections, a deviated septum, medications or if there’s an object stuck in your nose.
For those who think your chronic cough is from postnasal drip, it’s a good idea to talk to your primary care doctor. They may also help uncover the reason behind your postnasal drip and offer possible treatments.
Cigarette smoke
Cigarette smoke is a common reason behind a dry cough. Plus, smoking and secondhand smoke could make a cough worse, irrespective of the cause.
Infections may cause several types of coughs
A cough is one of the vital common symptoms of a respiratory infection. How long a cough lasts can depend upon the cause and location of the infection. Infections within the upper respiratory system (throat and sinuses) tend to go away more quickly than those within the lower respiratory system (airway and lungs). And it’s often easier to recover from a viral infection than a bacterial infection.
If you may have a chronic wet cough and it appears like you’ve been coughing up mucus for weeks, it could be a sign you may have a bacterial infection that needs to be treated. It’s generally a good idea to talk to your doctor if you may have a persistent cough with phlegm.
The opposite thing to know is which you could have a lingering cough, even after the infection is gone. That’s because your body might have time to do away with the damage and inflammation that happened whilst you were sick.
Common cold
A wet, hacking cough is a common cold symptom, but coughs may also be dry. Often, your body is ready to fight off the cold virus in about a week. Your cough may linger because your throat is irritated from the cold virus – and, unfortunately, coughing can increase airway irritation. While it’s not common, it is feasible for a cough to stick around for several weeks after a cold.
Sinus infections
There are viral and bacterial sorts of sinus infections. The most important symptom is a stuffy nose that won’t go away – this could lead to facial pain and headaches. But a cough is one other possible symptom. Sometimes, sinus infections turn into chronic sinusitis, leading to a cough and other symptoms that stick around for months.
COVID-19
A cough is one of the vital common symptoms of COVID-19. A chronic cough can be a long-COVID lung symptom that may last for months after you now not have COVID-19.
Coughs can sound very different depending on the variant of COVID-19 and the age of the one who gets it. For instance, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is reported to cause a barking cough in children under 5 years old.
Bronchitis
If you may have bronchitis, it implies that there’s inflammation within the bronchial tubes that carry air into your lungs. The most important symptom of bronchitis is a cough. To start with, it’s often a dry cough, but over time, it may turn into a wet cough with a lot of phlegm. In some cases, bronchitis causes violent coughing matches (paroxysmal coughing).
Bronchitis will likely be brought on by a virus, and often goes away without treatment in a few weeks. Nonetheless, it’s possible for bronchitis to turn chronic, especially in individuals who smoke. In some cases, bronchitis can turn into pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is when your lung tissue gets infected by bacteria, viruses or fungi. This causes inflammation of your lung tissue and fluid buildup within the air sacs in your lungs.
A cough is one of the vital common symptoms of pneumonia. Often these coughs have a distinct sound – like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. They may also be pretty loud. The cough could also be a dry cough or a cough that produces thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus. Pneumonia may cause violent coughing matches.
Croup
A barking cough is probably the most noticeable symptom of croup, an infection that causes swelling and irritation across the voice box, windpipe and bronchial tubes. Croup is commonest in kids between 3 months and 5 years old.
At first it could appear to be your child has a cold with a stuffy or runny nose but, because the swelling gets worse, they could have difficulty respiration or a hoarse voice. Croup often goes away in a couple days, but it may last for a few weeks. It’s also possible for the cough to last after the infection is gone.
Whooping cough
Whooping cough causes a chronic cough. This infection is brought on by an incredibly contagious style of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. Anyone can get whooping cough, however the symptoms tend to be more serious in young babies under the age of 6 months old.
Whooping cough can start out like a cold, however the cough sticks around for much longer. To start with, your cough is probably going to be dry. After a week or so, chances are you’ll start having violent coughing matches which might last up to 10 weeks. If it’s whooping cough, you’ll likely have a runny nose, nasal congestion, red or watery eyes, and a barely elevated temperature.
A vaccine for whooping cough is a component of the beneficial childhood immunization schedule. While you possibly can get whooping cough after having the vaccination, you almost certainly won’t get as sick.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious bacterial infection that mainly affects your lungs. One in every of the primary symptoms of lively tuberculosis is a cough that lasts for greater than three weeks. It could start as a dry, irritating cough but may turn into a productive cough that brings up blood or mucus. At times, TB may cause coughing matches. Other symptoms of TB include chest pain, weakness, unexplained weight reduction, fever and night sweats.
TB is amazingly rare in america, but it surely’s more likely in individuals with weakened immune systems, corresponding to those living with HIV/AIDS.
Medical conditions may cause a cough that won’t go away
A chronic cough will be brought on by medical conditions that affect your ability to breathe, flow into blood and control the quantity of mucus in your lungs. These conditions include:
Acid reflux disease
Acid reflux disease is when your stomach acid flows up into your esophagus (the tube connecting your stomach and throat). The stomach acid can trigger cough receptors that are present within the esophagus in addition to the airways. Acid reflux disease is one of the vital common causes of chronic cough.
In case your cough is brought on by acid reflux disorder, chances are you’ll even have heartburn, chest pain, chronic sore throat and mild hoarseness. You could feel like you may have a lump at the back of your throat that makes it difficult to swallow, and chances are you’ll spit up food or sour liquid.
You could find a way to manage occasional bouts of acid reflux disorder with antacids, but when you may have symptoms greater than twice a week, make certain to talk to your doctor about possible treatments. It may very well be that you just need treatment for chronic acid reflux disorder (also called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD).
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
COPD is a group of lung diseases that make respiration difficult and steadily worsen over time. COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
The most important symptom of COPD is a chronic cough. It’s common to cough up coloured mucus. COPD often happens in individuals who have a history of smoking, but it may also follow long-term exposure to lung irritants like secondhand smoke or air pollution.
Certain blood pressure medications
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor medications, that are commonly prescribed to manage hypertension and heart failure, have been linked to chronic cough.
Heart failure
When someone has heart failure, it implies that their heart isn’t working as well correctly – and it’s more common in individuals with other heart conditions. A chronic dry cough will be a symptom of heart failure, however the condition may cause a cough with foamy white or pink-tinted mucus. Other symptoms include fatigue and weakness, abdominal swelling and shortness of breath.
Lung cancer
Cancer is a disease where your body’s cells grow uncontrolled. Lung cancer is when the disease begins within the lungs. A chronic dry cough is common with lung cancer. Shortness of breath, chest pain, unintended weight reduction, bone pain, headaches and spitting up blood are other symptoms of lung cancer.
Lung cancer will likely be brought on by cigarette smoke. It is usually one in every of the deadliest cancers in america. Getting screened for lung cancer may also help catch it earlier when it’s more treatable.
Other conditions that may cause a chronic cough
There are several other medical conditions that may cause chronic coughs, but these conditions are typically unusual or very rare.
- Collapsed lung – Collapsed lungs are commonest after a traumatic event corresponding to a automotive accident or puncture wound to the chest. It’s possible for a lung to collapse by itself, but this is amazingly rare – especially if no other underlying lung conditions are present.
- Pulmonary fibrosis – Pulmonary fibrosis is an unusual but serious lung disease that causes scarring within the lungs and changes how a person breathes and gets oxygen. While a chronic dry cough is commonly the primary symptom, it may also cause problems corresponding to respiration, unintended weight reduction, tiredness and muscle aches.
- Cystic fibrosis – Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes your body to produce thick, sticky mucus that may clog the lungs and other organs. All U.S. hospitals now screen for cystic fibrosis in newborns. Finding the condition earlier makes it easier for families to manage the symptoms and avoid chronic coughs.
- Bronchiectasis – Bronchiectasis is a medical condition where the airways within the lungs are damaged and wider than they must be. This enables a buildup of mucus within the lungs, making it more likely that they’ll get infected. Probably the most common symptom is a chronic productive cough, but it may also cause paroxysmal coughing and make it hard to breathe.
When to see a doctor about a chronic cough
Anytime you’re apprehensive about a cough or one other symptom is the fitting time to talk to a doctor or clinician. But in case your child has been experiencing a chronic cough for 4 weeks or longer, otherwise you’ve had a cough for eight weeks or more, definitely make a primary care appointment.
Primary care doctors are experts in diagnosing and treating tons of of conditions. And if more advanced care is required, they’ll connect you with a specialist corresponding to an allergist, cardiologist or pulmonologist.