Overview
A cough is your body’s response to something that bothers your throat or airways. Many things can cause a cough. You might cough because of a cold or the flu, bronchitis, or asthma. Smoking, postnasal drip, allergies, and stomach acid that backs up into your throat also can cause coughs.
A cough is a symptom, not a disease. Most coughs stop when the cause, such as a cold, goes away. You can take a few steps at home to cough less and feel better.
Relieving a cough
Coughing is your body's way of getting foreign substances and mucus out of your lungs and upper airway passages. Coughs are often useful, and you should not try to stop them.Sometimes, though, coughs are severe enough to make breathing difficult, cause vomiting, or prevent rest. Home treatment can help you feel more comfortable when you have a cough.
- Drink fluids to keep from getting dehydrated. Water may help loosen mucus and soothe an irritated throat. Dry, hacking coughs may respond to honey in hot water, tea, or lemon juice. Do not give honey to children younger than 1 year of age.
- Elevate your head with extra pillows at night to ease a dry cough.
- Try a cough drop to soothe an irritated throat. Expensive medicine-flavored cough drops are not any better than inexpensive candy-flavored ones or hard candy. Most cough drops have no effect on the cough-producing mechanism.
- Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
- Avoid exposure to inhaled irritants. Examples include smoke, dust, or other pollutants. Or wear a face mask that is appropriate for the exposure. There are many kinds of face masks. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to find out which types will give you the most benefit.
If you have sore muscles from coughing a lot, have someone massage your chest and back muscles a few times each day. Massage can reduce soreness and help you rest and relax better.
Chronic cough: When to call
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You have severe trouble breathing.
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You cough up blood.
- You have new or worse trouble breathing.
- You have a new or higher fever.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- You cough more deeply or more often, especially if you notice more mucus or a change in the color of your mucus.
- You do not get better as expected.