What Is a Cough? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
Updated on January 28, 2026
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A cough is your body’s way of responding when something irritates your throat or airway. Coughing, from throat clearing to a wheezing cough to full-on hacking, may be voluntary or involuntary, short term or long-lasting.
Coughing is the sudden expulsion of air from the lungs through the epiglottis, the little trapdoor that covers the entrance to your windpipe. You cough at around 100 miles per hour, which creates a strong force of air that helps clear your breathing passageways of unwanted irritants.
A cough is often relatively painless, but it can be irritating or distracting to others, and the effort of coughing can leave you feeling achy and fatigued. An occasional cough is normal and not a cause for concern. However, a cough that lasts for several weeks or longer, or one that produces discolored or bloody mucus, may indicate a medical condition.
Types of Coughs
Coughs can be either acute or chronic:
- Acute Coughs These begin suddenly and usually last for less than three weeks. This type of cough is the one you most often get with a cold, the flu, or acute bronchitis.
- Chronic Coughs These last longer than eight weeks (or longer than four weeks in children). A chronic cough can wake you up at night when you’re sleeping and lead to fatigue. It can also occur with other signs and symptoms.
Additional Symptoms With a Cough
If you have a cough, you might also notice the following symptoms:
- A runny or stuffy nose
- A feeling of liquid running down the back of your throat, known as postnasal drip
- Frequent throat clearing and sore throat
- A hoarse voice
- Wheezing and breathlessness
- Heartburn or the taste of bitterness in your mouth
- Rarely, coughing up blood
Causes and Risk Factors of a Cough
Acute coughs and chronic coughs have different causes. Common causes of an acute cough include the following:
- Common cold and influenza (flu)
- Inhaling an irritant (such as dust, chemicals, or a foreign body)
- Pneumonia
- Whooping cough
- Acute bronchitis
- Sinus infection
Common causes of a chronic cough include the following:
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Postnasal drip
- Chronic bronchitis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Other lung conditions
- Smoking
- Throat disorders
What to Expect if You Have Chronic Cough
To diagnose the cause of your cough, your doctor or healthcare provider will take a medical history, will perform a physical exam, and may order tests such as a chest X-ray or a lung function test. They will also check your vital signs, like your temperature and the number of breaths you take per minute. Your doctor may ask you questions about the following topics to figure out what type of cough you have and what is causing it:
- If you use or have previously used tobacco
- Your current or former occupation
- How long you have been coughing
- How well you breathe when you are resting and when you are working hard
- If the cough is interrupting your sleep
- If anything comes up when you cough (like phlegm or blood)
- If you are taking any medications
- If you have a bad taste in your mouth
- If you have persistent bad breath
- If you have pain, especially in your face
- If you have lost weight without trying
Prognosis of a Cough
In healthy adults, an acute cough is usually self-limiting and associated with upper respiratory viral infections, meaning it tends to resolve on its own without treatment and rarely requires significant medical intervention. The prognosis may vary for an older patient or someone with a compromised immune system, and in such cases, an acute cough due to a flu or common cold virus may require medical treatment and hospitalization.
The prognosis for a chronic cough depends on the underlying problem and requires medical evaluation.
How Long Does a Cough Last?
Coughs can last for less than two weeks or up to eight weeks or longer. Acute coughs typically last for less than three weeks. Chronic coughs last longer than eight weeks (or longer than four weeks in children).
Treatment and Medication Options for Coughs
Some medications are available for coughs, but they’re often only useful for coughs that significantly interfere with daily life.
Medication
Cough medicines are typically used only for acute coughs that cause significant discomfort, interfere with sleep, and are not associated with more serious symptoms.
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines like cough syrups and cough suppressants may help you treat the symptoms of a cough. But research suggests that these medicines don’t work any better than placebos (inactive medicines).
If your cough is caused by an infection, your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic or antiviral medication.
If you have GERD, your clinician may give you a prescription for a proton pump inhibitor. This medication reduces the amount of stomach acid produced by the glands in the lining of the stomach.
Lifestyle Changes for a Cough
For healthy adults, most cough remedies will involve self-care.
Antibiotics can’t treat a cough that results from a virus. You can, however, soothe it with home remedies:
- Stay hydrated by drinking adequate fluids. Liquid helps thin the mucus in your throat, and warm liquids such as broth, tea, and lemon juice are soothing.
- Suck on cough drops or hard candies, which may ease a dry cough (one that doesn’t produce phlegm or mucus) and soothe an irritated throat.
- Have a spoonful of honey. A teaspoon of honey may help loosen a cough (never give honey to children younger than 1 year old because honey can contain bacteria that's harmful to infants).
- Use a cool mist humidifier or take a steamy shower to moisturize the air.
- Elevate your head with exra pillows when you’re sleeping.
- Gargle with warm salt water to remove mucus and soothe your throat.
Prevention of a Cough
Many coughs are caused by the common cold. To help reduce your risk of getting a cold, wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. It’s also best to avoid close contact with sick people and to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Home remedies such as staying hydrated and using a humidifier in your bedroom can help ease a cough if you already have one. Also, avoid tobacco smoke, which can make your cough worse or may be the main cause of it.
Complications of a Cough
Most coughs are not serious and will go away on their own or after the underlying cause has been treated. Call your doctor or healthcare provider if your cough doesn’t go away after a few weeks or if it involves the following symptoms:
- Coughing up thick mucus that is green or yellow in color
- Wheezing
- Fever
- Breathlessness
- Fainting or passing out
- Ankle swelling
- Unexpected or unintended weight loss
Get emergency medical care if you or your child experiences the following:
- Choking or vomiting
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Chest pain
- Coughing up bloody or pink-tinged phlegm, which can be caused by a variety of lung conditions
Research and Statistics: Who Has a Cough
Coughing is the most common symptom that patients report when they visit healthcare providers.
In the United States, a cough is one of the most common reasons that people seek medical attention, accounting for around 30 million office visits annually.
Of the people who report a cough to a medical practitioner, around 4 in 10 get a referral to a doctor specializing in the treatment of lung conditions, also known as a pulmonologist, for further examination.
Conditions Related to Coughs
Other conditions linked to coughing include the following:
- Medications called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- Emphysema
- Lung cancer
- Bronchiectasis, a chronic lung condition in which the abnormal widening of bronchial tubes prevents mucus clearing
- Bronchiolitis (especially in young children)
- Choking (especially in children)
- Chronic sinusitis (chronic sinus infection)
- COPD exacerbations
- COVID-19
- Croup (especially in young children), which causes a characteristic barking cough
- Cystic fibrosis
- Heart failure
- Laryngitis
- Neuromuscular diseases that weaken the coordination of the upper airway and swallowing muscles
- Pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in an artery in the lung
- Respiratory syncytial virus (especially in young children)
- Sarcoidosis, which causes collections of inflammatory cells in the body
- Tuberculosis
- Strong smells (like cleaners and perfumes)
- Mold
- Pollen
- Pet dander
The Takeaway
- A cough is your body's natural response to clear your airways of irritants, and it can be either acute (lasting less than three weeks) or chronic (persisting beyond eight weeks).
- If other serious symptoms like discolored mucus or wheezing accompany your cough, or if you have a persistent cough lasting more than a few weeks, consult with a healthcare professional.
- While over-the-counter medications for coughs tend to have similar effects to placebos, home remedies such as staying hydrated and using a humidifier can provide comfort and relief.
- Seek immediate medical care if a cough occurs along with severe symptoms like difficulty breathing, chest pain, or coughing up blood, as these may signal a more serious condition.
Resources We Trust
- Mayo Clinic: Chronic Cough
- Cleveland Clinic: Dry Cough
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Habits: Coughing and Sneezing
- MedlinePlus: Cough
- American Lung Association: Diagnosing and Treating Cough
FAQ
When is a cough serious?
A cough is serious if it lasts several weeks or produces discolored or bloody mucus. Seek emergency care if you experience breathlessness, chest pain, or choking on or coughing up pink-tinged phlegm.
How to get rid of a cough fast?
Soothe a cough by staying hydrated, using a humidifier, or taking a steamy shower. Other remedies include eating a spoonful of honey, gargling with salt water, or elevating your head while sleeping.
What triggers coughing fits?
Inhaling irritants like dust, smoke, and chemicals can trigger coughing. Other triggers include allergens like pollen and pet dander, strong smells, and underlying conditions like asthma and infections.
Why won't my cough go away?
Chronic conditions such as asthma, GERD, and COPD may cause a persistent cough. Other factors include smoking and taking certain medications like ACE inhibitors. A healthcare professional can help identify the cause.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Cough. Mayo Clinic. December 11, 2024.
- Coughing. MedlinePlus. April 1, 2025.
- Cough. Cleveland Clinic. August 18, 2025.
- Cough. MedlinePlus. March 18, 2025.
- Chronic cough. Mayo Clinic. October 29, 2024.
- Cough - Causes. Mayo Clinic. December 11, 2024.
- Parker SM et al. British Thoracic Society Clinical Statement on chronic cough in adults. BMJ. 2023.
- Cough - When to see a doctor. Mayo Clinic. December 11, 2024.
- Proton pump inhibitors. National Library of Medicine. April 21, 2025.
- About Rhinoviruses. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 24, 2024.
- Coughing up blood. Mayo Clinic. November 1, 2024.
- Sharma S et al. Cough. StatPearls. August 8, 2023.
- What Is Bronchiectasis? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. October 27, 2023.
- Symptoms of COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. March 10, 2025.
- Croup. Mayo Clinic. December 3, 2022.
Meet Our Experts
David Mannino, MD
Medical Reviewer
David Mannino, MD, is the chief medical officer at the COPD Foundation. He has a long history of research and engagement in respiratory health.
After completing medical training as a pulmonary care specialist, Dr. Mannino joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch. While at CDC, he helped to develop the National Asthma Program and led efforts on the Surveillance Reports that described the U.S. burden of asthma (1998) and COPD (2002).
After his retirement from CDC in 2004, Mannino joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky, where he was involved both clinically in the College of Medicine and as a teacher, researcher, and administrator in the College of Public Health. He served as professor and chair in the department of preventive medicine and environmental health from 2012 to 2017, with a joint appointment in the department of epidemiology.
In 2004, Mannino helped to launch the COPD Foundation, where he served as a board member from 2004 through 2015, chairman of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee from 2010 through 2015, and chief scientific officer from 2015 to 2017.
Mannino has over 350 publications and serves as an associate editor or editorial board member for the following journals: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Chest, Thorax, European Respiratory Journal, and the Journal of the COPD Foundation. He was also a coauthor of the Surgeon General’s Report on Tobacco in 2008 and 2014.