A chesty cough may follow a common cold infection or can be due to long-term conditions, such as bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis or asthma. Whooping cough (pertussis) can result in coughing fits, and there can be a loud 'whoop' noise at the end of the cough when the person tries to breathe in again.
There are two common causes of a post-viral cough in adults: Postnasal drip, when mucus drains into your throat. Inflammation, or swollen airways, related to the initial respiratory infection.
A viral illness, such as a cold, the flu or the coronavirus, may cause coughing. If you have a viral illness, you'll probably experience a few other symptoms in addition to coughing, such as a runny nose, sore throat or fever. You have asthma or allergies. Allergies or asthma may trigger bouts of coughing.
Occasional coughing is normal as it helps clear your throat and airway of germs, mucus and dust. A cough that doesn't go away or comes with other symptoms like shortness of breath, mucus production or bloody phlegm could be the sign of a more serious medical problem.
The four main types of coughs are: wet, dry, paroxysmal and croup. Most coughs do go away on their own.
"A cough is considered chronic if it persists longer than eight weeks," explains Dr. Safdar. "At that point, we start to worry whether the cause might be a chronic health condition that needs to be addressed."
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 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.
See your doctor if you have a cough that lingers for weeks, especially one that brings up sputum or blood, disturbs your sleep, or affects school or work.
Chronic dry coughs are usually caused by irritation from cigarette smoke, environmental irritants, allergies, post-nasal drip, or asthma. Several chronic lung diseases also cause a dry, hacking cough. Some people cough out of habit for no clear reason. Gastric reflux may also cause a chronic dry cough.
Most people with asthma have a dry cough, one that does not produce mucous. This happens when the airways constrict in response to an irritant and is a feature of asthma. As well as the cough there is often a high-pitched wheeze sound that is also caused by the constricted airway.
What is a heart cough? In heart failure, your heart muscle has dysfunction that might be due to weak contraction or stiffness. This can allow fluid to back up in yout lungs, creating a condition called pulmonary edema. Your body coughs persistently in an effort to eliminate the excess fluid.
Irritation to the upper airway due to infectious, allergic, or environmental factors cause a tickling or dripping sensation in the back of the throat leading to cough. Some of the most common causes of upper airway irritation are viral infections, allergies, or environmental irritants.
While symptoms for either bronchitis or pneumonia can range from mild to serious enough to require hospitalization, symptoms such as fever, breathing problems, and chest pain tend to be more severe with pneumonia.
Shortness of breath or fast, shallow breathing. Bluish tint to lips and/or fingertips. High fever, sweating, shaking chills. Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you inhale deeply or cough.
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.
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.
Coughing often worsens at night because a person is lying flat in bed. Mucus can pool in the back of the throat and cause coughing. Sleeping with the head elevated can reduce the symptoms of postnasal drip and GERD. Both can cause coughing at night.
The GERD cough is a dry cough that worsens at night and lasts longer than 8 weeks. GERD occurs when part of the stomach's acidic content move up through the throat. Often times people experience heartburn which does not resolve with antacids.