A cough is a reflex action to clear your airways of mucus and irritants such as dust or smoke. It's rarely a sign of anything serious. Most coughs clear up within 3 weeks and don't require any treatment.
Call your doctor if your cough (or your child's cough) doesn't go away after a few weeks or if it also involves any one of these: Coughing up thick, greenish-yellow phlegm. Wheezing. Experiencing a fever.
A dry cough is one of the most common coronavirus symptoms, but some people may have a cough with phlegm (thick mucus).
Does coughing up mucus mean you're getting better? In most cases, coughing up mucus means your body is working to fight off an infection, and it is in the healing stages. Drink plenty of fluids to help thin the mucus.
If you have a dry cough, a preparation containing an antitussive such as dextromethorphan or pholcodine is the most suitable to try. If you have a chesty cough, a preparation containing an expectorant such as guaifenesin or ipecacuanha is the most suitable to try.
The main symptom of bronchitis is a hacking cough. It is likely that your cough will bring up thick yellow-grey mucus (phlegm), although this does not always happen. Other symptoms of bronchitis are similar to those of other infections, such as the common cold or sinusitis, and may include: sore throat.
A bronchitis cough sounds like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. As your condition progresses, you will first have a dry cough that can then progress towards coughing up white mucus.
your cough is particularly severe. you cough 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, or lumps or swellings in your neck.
Coughing actually helps you clear the infection more quickly by getting rid of the phlegm from your lungs. Antibiotics aren't recommended for many chest infections, because they only work if the infection is caused by bacteria, rather than a virus.
See your doctor if your cough persists for more than three weeks or you get other symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing up blood. Likewise, if you have a long-term chest condition like asthma or COPD, you need to contact your doctor if the cough has made these symptoms worse.
You'll find that chesty coughs and mucus coughs are productive, whereas tickly and dry coughs are unproductive. Even though coughs are one of the most common health complaints, not many people know the difference between them in order to decipher which one they may be suffering from.
Coughs are a common symptom, but they can be caused by anything from a mild cold to a serious chest infection in a child. Although coughs can usually be managed at home, it is a good idea to see a doctor if you think that it is caused by a chest infection.
Chest infections often follow colds or flu. The main symptoms are: a chesty cough – you may cough up green or yellow mucus. wheezing and shortness of breath.
You might also cough up thick, yellow or green mucus. These symptoms may also occur with a cold. But if they last for more than a week or are severe, you may have a bacterial infection and need antibiotics. Only your doctor can prescribe antibiotics.
Your doctor will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope. If you have pneumonia, your lungs may make crackling, bubbling, and rumbling sounds when you inhale.
Common symptoms of pneumonia include: a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm) difficulty breathing – your breathing may be rapid and shallow, and you may feel breathless, even when resting. rapid heartbeat.
To diagnose bronchitis, your healthcare provider will do a physical exam and ask about your medical history and symptoms. Your provider may also order a blood test to look for signs of infection, or a chest X-ray to check whether your lungs and bronchial tubes look normal.
Most people DO NOT need antibiotics for acute bronchitis caused by a virus. The infection will almost always go away on its own within 1 week. Doing these things may help you feel better: Drink plenty of fluids.
The main symptom of acute bronchitis is a cough. This is usually a dry cough at first, but it may later develop into a phlegmy cough, where you cough up mucus (sputum). Doctors call this a "productive" cough.
If you have a bacterial chest infection, you should start to feel better 24 to 48 hours after starting on antibiotics. You may have a cough for days or weeks. For other types of chest infections, the recovery is more gradual. You may feel weak for some time and need a longer period of bed rest.
Dozens of conditions can cause a recurrent, lingering cough, but the lion's share are caused by just five: postnasal drip, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic bronchitis, and treatment with ACE inhibitors, used for high blood pressure and heart failure.
Small amounts of white mucus may be coughed up if the bronchitis is viral. If the color of the mucus changes to green or yellow, it may be a sign that a bacterial infection has also set in. The cough is usually the last symptom to clear up and may last for weeks.