What is a persistent cough?

Coughing is a natural way of clearing mucus or foreign irritants from the throat. Several medical conditions can also cause frequent coughing. While most coughs clear up or improve within 2 weeks, a cough lasting 8 weeks or longer in adults (or 4 weeks in children) is known as a persistent or chronic cough.

This kind of cough may affect your quality of life and cause symptoms such as vomiting, tiredness, and disturbance in sleep. You may also experience difficulty in speaking.1,2

Common causes of persistent cough include smoking, bronchitis, asthma, COPD, and respiratory tract infections. To figure out the cause, your doctor may check your symptoms and medical history and might recommend some additional tests, if needed. If you have a chronic cough, consult your doctor immediately to manage it with the right medications.1

Reference

  1. Learn About Chronic Cough [Internet]. www.lung.org. Available from: Click here
  2. Morice AH, Millqvist E, Bieksiene K, Birring SS, Dicpinigaitis P, Domingo Ribas C, et al. ERS guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in adults and children. European Respiratory Journal. 2019 Sep 12;55(1):1901136.