See a doctor if you have a fever that lasts more than a few days, or if your symptoms seem to improve but then your cough starts getting progressively worse. If you're struggling with a persistent cough, over-the-counter medicine may help. If your cough lasts more than seven days, you should consult a doctor to rule out an underlying condition.
A range of health issues from asthma to sleep apnea might contribute to chronic coughing. An examination from your doctor can help you identify the cause of your cough and the best way to treat it. Whether caused by a cold, flu or allergy, your lingering cough might not be improving for these reasons. Main Navigation Toggle navigation Home. Symptoms From a Cold or Flu The symptoms of a nasty cold or flu typically come on strong in the first few days.
Exposure to an Allergen Sometimes a lingering cough is caused or aggravated by an allergic reaction to something in your environment. Not Getting Enough Sleep If you're burning the candle at both ends, your demanding schedule might contribute to your persistent coughing. A postnasal drip may irritate the upper airways, which are often more sensitive following an infection. When the airways are overly sensitive, even cold air or a small amount of dust may trigger the cough.
Another consideration is the possibility of pertussis infection, also known as whooping cough. Pertussis affects both adults and children and it can often lead to a cough that lasts months.
By the time the chronic cough appears, antibiotics are no longer effective for pertussis. I suggest every adult receive at least one booster of the pertussis vaccine combined with the tetanus and diphtheria vaccines Tdap. Treatment of the cough, no matter the source, is difficult. Over-the-counter and prescription drugs have some small benefits. If postnasal drip symptoms are prominent, antihistamines, such as chlorpheniramine sold as Chlor-Trimeton and many other brands , may be effective.
If wheezing is present, a bronchodilator inhaler like albuterol Proventil, ProAir or ipratropium Atrovent is recommended. Despite their common use, cough suppressants have little benefit. Once the cough settles in, it often lasts four to eight weeks. Try to avoid forcing a cough, when possible, as this further irritates your airway and slows healing. When you feel a cough sensation, use a throat lozenge or drink more fluids to help decrease the frequency of coughing attacks.
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. If necessary, your primary care doctor will refer you to a pulmonologist.
In our cough clinic, the definition of a chronic cough would be a cough that is persistent for more than three weeks. That usually will extend past most viral infections or any other respiratory infection. The common causes that we see are:. There are warning signs that you should seek medical care for a persistent cough before three weeks have past. You could have walking pneumonia. A doctor will examine you to determine the cause of the cough and establish a treatment plan.
Heart failure patients have a new treatment option after cardiologists at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center were the first in the U. By clicking "Subscribe" you agree to our Terms of Use. We'll be in touch every so often with health tips, patient stories, important resources and other information you need to keep you and your family healthy. My cold is gone, so why am I still coughing? One of the classic cold symptoms is a cough. When coupled with a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and fatigue, it can make you feel pretty miserable.
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