What is a cough?
A cough is your body’s way of responding when something irritates your throat or airways. It can remove dust and other things you have breathed in and also get rid of mucus (phlegm) from your throat and chest. A cough is a protective mechanism that helps your body to protect itself. 19,20
Coughs can be described as:
What are the types of cough?
There are many types of coughs. Some of the names for coughs describe how long they last, while other types describe how they feel or sound, and other types are actual conditions. 19
More types of cough include, apart from productive and non-productive
- acute cough: begins suddenly and lasts for 2-3 weeks 19
- subacute cough: is a cough that stays around after you’ve had an infection and lasts 3-8 weeks 19
- chronic cough: lasts longer than 8 weeks and may be caused by health issues such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) 19,21
What causes a cough?
The most common cause of a short-term (acute) cough is a viral infection, such as the common cold or flu 20 . Other causes include:
- Irritants or allergens e.g. Smoke, dust, mould, pollen, some medications 19
- Infections e.g. COVID-19, laryngitis, sinusitis, whooping cough, bronchitis 20
- Illnesses e.g. Heart failure, obstructive sleep apnoea, cystic fibrosis 20
Adapated from references 11,21-25
What is the Cough Cycle?
A cough can change throughout the course of illness. Initially it may start as a dry, irritating cough with no phlegm. Then, as the infection progresses, excess mucus may be produced resulting in a wet and chesty cough. As the infection resolves, a residual (or lingering) cough may remain, which is typically dry and irritating. 11,21-25
When should you see your doctor?
You should seek medical care if you have any questions or concerns about your cough, or if you need any individual medical advice: 20
- have a cough that lasts for more than 3 weeks
- are short of breath or have chest pain or unexplained tiredness
- cough up blood, mucus, or phlegm
- have trouble sleeping because of coughing
- have unexplained problems like weight loss, or
- have a fever. #
# In general, a fever means the body’s temperature is 38°C or higher. Different ways of measuring a temperature – rectal, armpit, ear, forehead, mouth – get a slightly different number. 29,30