Background
Most coughs follow a common respiratory infection and settle on their own within a few weeks. What matters is not the cough alone but the company it keeps: how long it has lasted, what comes with it, and whether anything about it has changed. Those three questions are usually what a clinician asks first, and having the answers ready makes the consultation more useful.
Key points
- A cough has many possible causes and is best understood in context.
- Duration, associated symptoms and any change over time all matter.
- Urgent symptoms need urgent medical attention, not watchful waiting.
What to look out for
- A cough lasting longer than three weeks
- Coughing up blood
- Breathlessness at rest or on light activity
- Chest pain, or fever that keeps returning
- Unintended weight loss or night sweats
At a glance
What this means in practice
A date is more useful than an impression, and it separates an acute cough from a lingering one.
Fever, breathlessness, wheeze or chest pain each point in a different direction.
Some medicines, including certain blood pressure treatments, can cause a persistent dry cough.
Night-time, exercise or cold air are patterns a clinician will recognise.
Coughing blood or breathlessness at rest are reasons to seek care the same day.
Evidence summary
Clinical guidance separates acute cough, which usually follows a self-limiting infection, from chronic cough lasting more than eight weeks, which warrants assessment for causes such as asthma, reflux, post-nasal drip, medication effects or, less commonly, more serious disease.
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Cough (acute): antimicrobial prescribing. NICE guideline NG120.
- Global Initiative for Asthma. Global strategy for asthma management and prevention.
- World Health Organization. Tuberculosis: screening and early detection guidance.