Convulsive cough: what should you know?

Repeated coughs can make the chest, throat, and abdominal muscles tighten. A person may gag, vomit, become hoarse, or struggle to catch a breath between bouts. Causes include a common cold, acute bronchitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, acid reflux, or chronic airway conditions such as bronchiectasis. In a baby, bronchiolitis can cause cough with fast or laboured breathing. The sound and pattern help, but they do not confirm one diagnosis.

Sit upright, take small sips of fluid when swallowing is comfortable, and avoid smoke, strong fragrances, and dusty air. Use prescribed inhalers exactly as directed; do not borrow someone else’s inhaler or start antibiotics without clinical advice. A humidified room may feel soothing, but avoid very hot steam that can burn. Note when the cough began, whether it is dry or brings up mucus, and what triggers each bout.

Get emergency help for severe breathlessness, blue or grey lips, chest pain, coughing blood, fainting, or inability to speak in full sentences. A child who is struggling to breathe, unusually sleepy, or taking visibly hard breaths needs urgent assessment. Arrange a clinical review when coughing bouts keep returning, disturb sleep, cause vomiting, follow choking, or last longer than expected for a simple cold. Babies and people with asthma or chronic lung disease may need earlier advice.

Ask whether the pattern suggests airway narrowing, reflux, allergy, infection, or another cause; whether you need a breathing test; and which treatment is suitable for your age and medicines. Mention wheeze, fever, mucus colour, choking, exposure to irritants, and any night-time pattern.