A dry cough means it's tickly and doesn't produce any phlegm (thick mucus). A chesty cough means phlegm is produced to help clear your airways.
Dry coughs can come on after a cold or flu or if you have COVID-19. Other conditions like GERD, heart failure and lung cancer can cause chronic dry coughs. You may also have chest tightness with a dry cough.
Types of cough
A dry cough is one of the most common coronavirus symptoms, but some people may have a cough with phlegm (thick mucus).
Chesty cough symptoms include a heavy, 'wet' cough that's raspy and can temporarily unblock your throat, producing mucus. Another key symptom is that your chest may feel heavier than usual. If you begin coughing up blood, have a temperature, chest pain or wheezing, please see your GP or pharmacist.
Products like Covonia Dry & Tickly Cough Linctus and Covonia Dry Cough Sugar-Free Formula help to eliminate your dry or tickly cough. On the other hand, a chesty cough produces lots of mucus, and is caused by congestion in your upper airways from the mucus your body is producing.
Chesty cough is triggered by excessive mucus in the lungs and lower airways, and you may have difficulty expectorating (a fancy word for coughing up) thick mucus to clear the airway passage. Dry Cough: Dry coughs typically happen when airways are inflamed or irritated.
Signs and symptoms of a chest infection
a persistent cough. coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood. breathlessness or rapid and shallow breathing.
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.
Can a dry cough be contagious? Yes, depending on the cause, a dry cough can be contagious. Dry coughs can be due to post-nasal drip, or mucus dripping from the back of the nose into the throat. Additionally, a dry cough can also be due to smoking (smoker's cough).
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.
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.
A: Acute coughs caused by infections or irritants will often improve within three weeks. Meanwhile, chronic coughs usually last longer than eight weeks for adults and four weeks for kids.
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.
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.
See a GP if you have a chest infection and:
you feel very unwell or your symptoms get worse. you cough up blood or blood-stained mucus. you've had a cough for more than 3 weeks.
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 are common, especially after a cold or flu during autumn and winter. Although most are mild and get better on their own, some can be serious or even life-threatening.
The symptoms of pneumonia can develop suddenly over 24 to 48 hours, or they may come on more slowly over several days. Common symptoms of pneumonia include: a cough – which may be dry, or produce thick yellow, green, brown or blood-stained mucus (phlegm)
If you have a chesty cough, a preparation containing an expectorant such as guaifenesin or ipecacuanha is the most suitable to try.
Try a cough suppressant for a dry, hacking cough that keeps you awake. Use cough suppressants such as Benylin, Mucinex, or Robitussin wisely. Don't suppress a productive cough too much, unless it's keeping you from getting enough rest. Coughing is useful.
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.
Coughing is a natural reflex for clearing the throat and lungs of irritants. Infection is a common reason for a dry cough, but other causes range from a post-nasal drip to lung cancer. A dry or sometimes tickly cough is a cough that does not bring up any phlegm or mucus.