When to Get Help for a Cough

Q:  Both my daughter and I have a cough that just won’t go away. It’s particularly worse at night. Neither of us has a fever or is short of breath and our sputum is clear. What can we do?

A:  This is a very common complaint at this time of year. The common cold, along with dry indoor air, make for a potent combination yielding a chronic cough. For most people, this is a benign if irritating problem. If you have asthma, any kind of chronic respiratory illness, or other chronic disease such as diabetes, waiting something like this out at home may not be the best decision. Call your doctor sooner rather than later if you have any questions.

Simple first steps include getting plenty of clear liquids and humidifying the air at home. If that’s not helpful, an expectorant such as guaifenesin can help clear the cough a little sooner. I find that many of the over-the-counter cough medicines do little to help and can be a source of unwanted side effects. Prescription remedies work to suppress the cough centers in the brain or reduce the stimulation of the cough receptors in the throat and can limit coughing enough to get some sleep at night, but may have more side effects.

Other causes that deserve attention include a variant of asthma that manifests as a cough only. For some, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause a chronic cough. Swallowing problems due to a stroke or other neurological diseases can also be a source of a chronic cough. Call your doctor if the cough has lasted more than 7-10 days, if you develop a fever, significant shortness of breath or wheezing, or if your sputum becomes yellow, brown or bloody.

"Your Health" provides easy-to-understand information about common health conditions.