Cough

Why do I cough?

Coughing is your body’s way of preventing harmful substances from accidentally entering your lungs and expelling irritating substances or excess mucus from your airways.

When you cough, your chest and abdomen muscles push air out of your lungs, forcing the unwanted substance out and preventing complications like infections.

It’s healthy and necessary to cough occasionally, especially when you have a respiratory illness like a cold or the flu. Coughs caused by an acute illness usually improve in a few days or weeks.

A chronic cough lasts longer than four weeks in children and eight weeks in adults. Constant coughing signals an underlying health problem that needs medical care.

What causes a chronic cough?

Chronic coughing is often a symptom of problems like:

• Asthma
• Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
• Chronic sinusitis (sinus inflammation)
• Irritants (secondhand smoke and others)
• Bacterial and viral upper respiratory infections
• Postnasal drip (mucus draining down your throat)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

However, a long-lasting cough can also signal severe lung conditions like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

You don’t need to wait four to eight weeks before seeking medical help for a cough. If you or your child has a cough lasting several weeks, have it evaluated by the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates team. After they complete a comprehensive evaluation, they can manage the underlying condition or, if needed, refer you to a lung specialist.

What symptoms accompany a cough?

You might have other symptoms, depending on the cough’s underlying cause. You could experience:

• Fever
• Wheezing
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest tightness or pain
• Hoarseness
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose

Many people with a chronic cough feel fatigued, often because the cough prevents them from getting a good night’s sleep.

How is a cough treated?

During your visit, your provider identifies any red flags, like smoking, exposure to environmental irritants, and difficulty breathing. They could also need to run bloodwork, perform lung function testing, or get X-rays or a CT scan.

After diagnosing the problem, your provider creates personalized treatment targeting the cause of your cough. That could include several possible treatments, from avoiding triggers and allergens to inhalers, taking medication, or getting allergy shots.

Don’t wait too long to get help for an ongoing cough. Call Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates today or connect online to request an appointment.