What should you know about constant cough?

Notice whether the cough is dry or brings up mucus, whether it is worse at night or after meals, and whether it comes with wheezing, fever, breathlessness, chest pain, or blood. These details help a clinician decide whether you need an examination or tests.

A cough is a protective reflex that clears mucus, particles, and irritants from the airways. It can linger after a cold or acute bronchitis while the breathing tubes remain sensitive. A cough that is worse with exercise, cold air, or at night can occur with asthma. Nasal drainage from allergic rhinitis may irritate the throat, while acid reflux can trigger coughing even without obvious heartburn.

Less common causes include bronchiectasis and other lung problems. A constant cough does not identify one diagnosis by itself. A clinician may ask about smoking or vaping, work or home exposures, medicines, recent infections, and the cough's pattern before deciding what evaluation is appropriate.

Keep hydrated, avoid tobacco smoke and strong scents, and use a humidified environment if dry air aggravates your throat. Honey may soothe cough in adults and children over one year, but never give honey to an infant under one year. Do not start antibiotics or combine cough medicines without checking that they are suitable for you.

Arrange a medical appointment if the cough is persistent, keeps returning, disrupts sleep, or affects normal activity. Take a short record of triggers, mucus colour and amount, temperature, breathlessness, and any medicines or supplements you use.

Seek urgent medical help for severe or rapidly worsening breathlessness, blue or grey lips, confusion, fainting, severe chest pain, or coughing up more than a small streak of blood. Prompt assessment is also sensible when a cough accompanies a high fever, marked weakness, or difficulty breathing.

For a milder but ongoing cough, contact a clinician rather than relying on repeated over-the-counter treatment. A healthcare professional can listen to your chest and consider tests when the history or examination points to a condition such as asthma, reflux, or a persistent airway problem.

Ask: What features of my cough suggest irritation, asthma, reflux, allergy, or infection? Do I need a chest examination or other tests? Could any of my medicines or workplace exposures be contributing? Which warning signs should prompt urgent help, and which treatments are safe with my existing conditions?