Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Coughing WorksCough TriggersAcute vs. Chronic CoughWhen to See a DoctorTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Coughing Works
Cough Triggers
Acute vs. Chronic Cough
When to See a Doctor
Treatment
Coughing can be a reflex, or an involuntary response. It is your body’s way to clear your airways and lungs of fluid, food, particles, or irritants. Coughing also movesmucusup to your throat so you can spit it out, helping to clear your chest.
Most of the time, coughing is not something to worry about. It can, however, be a sign that you need to see a doctor.
This article discusses how and why your body coughs, and what it means if your cough won’t go away. It also covers treatments your doctor may prescribe and ways you can remedy your cough at home.
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The cough reflex consists of two components: a sensory component, in which yourcentral nervous system(CNS) senses something that shouldn’t be in your airways, and a motor component, in which your muscles expand and contract to remove it.
Your CNS, airways, and muscles work together to form a cough through the following process:
People with weakened respiratory muscles may be unable cough. This can be an effect of several health conditions, includingstroke,Parkinson’s disease, andmultiple sclerosis.
RecapYour central nervous system and respiratory muscles work together to keep your airways clear. A cough itself isn’t a bad thing; it is your body’s way of protecting your airways and lungs from damage.
Recap
Your central nervous system and respiratory muscles work together to keep your airways clear. A cough itself isn’t a bad thing; it is your body’s way of protecting your airways and lungs from damage.
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There are several things that can activate your coughing reflex. Some can also be reasons for a voluntary cough, when you cough on purpose. (Think of forcing a cough in an effort to break up chest congestion.)
Note, however, that behavioral coughs—i.e., those that occur simply out of habit, much like how some people play with their hair without realizing it—do not share these physical triggers.
Food and Drink Particles
One of the most common causes of coughing is when fluid or a food particle comes in contact with the lining of your airways. Sensory nerves in your airway willtrigger you to coughinvoluntarily to remove it, but if the particles block your airways, you will start tochoke.
A person whose airway is partially blocked may still be choking even if they are coughing or making sounds. If coughing does not clear their airway or if they cannot cry, speak, cough, or breathe, then their airways are blocked. They will need the Heimlich maneuver as soon as possible.
A person who is choking and unable to breathe can die in as little as four minutes unless their airways are cleared. Knowing how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on someone who is choking can save their life.
What Is Choking? Causes, Treatment, and Prevention
Respiratory Tract Infections
As part of your body’simmune responseto infection,inflammationbuilds in your airways. Meanwhile, glands in your nose, mouth, and lungs produce mucus, which lines your airways and traps the intruder before it can enter your lungs.
Inflammation and mucus in your airways will cause you to cough. Most respiratory infections clear up within seven to 10 days. But if it doesn’t, it can progress to bronchitis, laryngitis, or pneumonia.
What Is an Upper Respiratory Infection?
Environnmental Allergens
In the United States, around 19 million people have allergic rhinitis. This causes them to experience cold-like symptoms when they breathe in outdoor orindoor allergens, such as pollen from trees and grass,dust mites, ormold spores. This is in response to the immune system reading these allergens as harmful, although they’re really not.
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Air Pollutants
Ozone pollutionand hazardous chemicals that circulate the air can also irritate your lungs and airways when you inhale them. Breathing in air pollution can cause inflammation in your nasal and sinus tissues along with postnasal drip.
Furthermore, long-term exposure to ozone pollution can aggravate other chronic respiratory conditions that cause coughing, like asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis.
As with allergens, avoiding air pollutants is difficult because you can’t control what’s in the air. However, you can monitor the air quality where you live using theAir Quality Indexand consider staying indoors when conditions are poor.
What Can the Air Quality Index Tell You?
Medical Conditions
Chronic medical conditions that affect your lungs can cause coughing during flare-ups. This includesasthma, a disease that affects around 262 million people worldwide.
With asthma, the airways become narrow and inflamed when exposed toasthma irritants, such as dust, smoke, pollen, weather changes, and animal fur. These irritants trigger coughing,wheezing, andchest tightening. Many people with asthma need to keep aninhaleron them at all times.
Coughing is also a symptom ofchronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)—a group of lung diseases that cause inflammation in the airways and block airflow to the lungs. People with COPD also useinhalersto force their airways open during flare-ups.
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There are three types of cough, depending on how long the cough lasts:
Sometimes, a cough can become chronic without you realizing it. Any time you develop a cough, it’s important to monitor how long the cough lasts and what kind of symptoms, if any, you are having with it. Should you decide to see your doctor, this information will help them make a diagnosis.
Why Can’t I Stop Coughing, and How Do I Stop?
Most of the time, coughing is not something to worry about—even if your cough has lasted for more than a week. In fact, one study found that the average length of time an acute cough lasts is 18 days.
Additionally, take note if your cough brings up phlegm, as this could be a sign of pneumonia, bronchitis, or the flu. These illnesses tend to clear up on their own as well, although you may need prescription medicine to manage your symptoms.
If you are coughing up phlegm, try to cough into a napkin and pay attention to the color. You should visit your doctor if your phlegm is yellowish-green.
Seek emergency care if you:
RecapWhen you develop a cough, try to keep track of how long it persists. See your doctor if your cough lasts longer than three weeks. Call 911 if you cough up blood or are in distress.
When you develop a cough, try to keep track of how long it persists. See your doctor if your cough lasts longer than three weeks. Call 911 if you cough up blood or are in distress.
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There are a variety of home remedies that help soothe your cough, as well as over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that can help thin mucus and soothe inflammation in your airways.
But keep in mind that coughing is your body’s natural defense mechanism, protecting you from things that can make you sick or otherwise cause you harm.
That’s why the ultimate aim of cough treatment is not just to ease your cough, but to address the reason it is occurring in the first place.
Natural Remedies
Whether you have a dry cough or your cough is producing mucus, there are a few natural remedies you can try at home:
Natural remedies aren’t a cure-all for the underlying causes of cough. But they are a safe and healthy way to relieve your symptoms and help you stay hydrated.
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OTC Medicine
You can also takeOTC medicineto soothe your throat, but these treatments will not cure the underlying infection.
There are three types of OTC cough medicines:
As for which to choose, consider an expectorant if you are coughing up thick mucus, and an antitussive if you have a dry cough that is interfering with your sleep.
Over-the-Counter Cough Medicines: A Complete Guide
Prescription Drugs
If your cough lasts longer than three weeks or you are also having other worrisome symptoms, OTC medicines and natural remedies may not be enough to resolve your symptoms. Your doctor may prescribe a stronger medication instead.
For example, your doctor may prescribe theantihistamine, promethazine, to treat symptoms of hay fever and suppress your cough. In some cases, antihistamines may also be prescribed for people withasthma.
Inhalers, which are used both for asthma and COPD, also contain prescription drugs—namelycorticosteroidsorlong-acting beta agonists—depending on the type of inhaler.
Choosing Effective Cough Treatments
Summary
Sensory nerves in your airways are ultra-sensitive to allergens, food particles, and other irritants that pose a threat to your lungs. When an irritant activates those nerves, they signal your brain to trigger your cough reflex.
Coughing is a symptom of numerous health conditions, ranging from the common cold to asthma and pulmonary embolism. If your cough lasts longer than three weeks, you are having chest pain, or you are coughing up blood, it is critical that you see a doctor right away.
A Word From Verywell
Your cough can send mucus, particles, and droplets zooming more than six feet in front of you.If those droplets contain bacteria or viruses, you could infect other people, including people withweakened immune systems.
Out of consideration for those around you, stay at home and rest when you are sick. Cover your mouth with the inside of your elbow when you cough, instead of using your hand. And if you need to leave the house, consider wearing aface mask.
Reasons Why You Should Cover Your Cough
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Canning B, Chang A, Bolser D, et al.Anatomy and neurophysiology of cough.Chest. 2014 Dec;146(6):1633-1648. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1481Wheeler Hegland K, Troche MS, Brandimore AE, Davenport PW, Okun MS.Comparison of voluntary and reflex cough effectiveness in Parkinson’s disease.Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2014 Nov;20(11):1226-1230. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.09.010Johns Hopkins Medicine.Choking: First aid and prevention.Varicchio A, La Mantia I, Burnese FP, Ciprandi G.Inflammation, infection, and allergy of the upper airways: new insights from national and real-world studies.Italian J Ped. 2020 Feb;46(18):1-10. doi:10.1186/s13052-020-0782-zCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.About rhinoviruses.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allergies and hay fever.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Health effects of ozone pollution.World Health Organization.Asthma.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Bronchitis.Ebell M, Lundgren Jerold, Youngpairoj S.How long does a cough last? Comparing patients' expectations with data from a systematic review of the literature.Ann Fam Med. 2013 Jan;11(1):5-13. doi:10.1370/afm.1430American Lung Association.Learn about cough.Kaiser Permanente.Relieving a cough.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance facts.Li H, Yew Leong F, Xu G, Ge Z, Wei Kang C, Hui Lim K.Dispersion of evaporating cough droplets in tropical outdoor environment.Phys Fluid. 2020 Nov;32(11):1-12. doi:10.1063/5.0026360
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Canning B, Chang A, Bolser D, et al.Anatomy and neurophysiology of cough.Chest. 2014 Dec;146(6):1633-1648. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1481Wheeler Hegland K, Troche MS, Brandimore AE, Davenport PW, Okun MS.Comparison of voluntary and reflex cough effectiveness in Parkinson’s disease.Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2014 Nov;20(11):1226-1230. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.09.010Johns Hopkins Medicine.Choking: First aid and prevention.Varicchio A, La Mantia I, Burnese FP, Ciprandi G.Inflammation, infection, and allergy of the upper airways: new insights from national and real-world studies.Italian J Ped. 2020 Feb;46(18):1-10. doi:10.1186/s13052-020-0782-zCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.About rhinoviruses.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allergies and hay fever.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Health effects of ozone pollution.World Health Organization.Asthma.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Bronchitis.Ebell M, Lundgren Jerold, Youngpairoj S.How long does a cough last? Comparing patients' expectations with data from a systematic review of the literature.Ann Fam Med. 2013 Jan;11(1):5-13. doi:10.1370/afm.1430American Lung Association.Learn about cough.Kaiser Permanente.Relieving a cough.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance facts.Li H, Yew Leong F, Xu G, Ge Z, Wei Kang C, Hui Lim K.Dispersion of evaporating cough droplets in tropical outdoor environment.Phys Fluid. 2020 Nov;32(11):1-12. doi:10.1063/5.0026360
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Canning B, Chang A, Bolser D, et al.Anatomy and neurophysiology of cough.Chest. 2014 Dec;146(6):1633-1648. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1481Wheeler Hegland K, Troche MS, Brandimore AE, Davenport PW, Okun MS.Comparison of voluntary and reflex cough effectiveness in Parkinson’s disease.Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2014 Nov;20(11):1226-1230. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.09.010Johns Hopkins Medicine.Choking: First aid and prevention.Varicchio A, La Mantia I, Burnese FP, Ciprandi G.Inflammation, infection, and allergy of the upper airways: new insights from national and real-world studies.Italian J Ped. 2020 Feb;46(18):1-10. doi:10.1186/s13052-020-0782-zCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.About rhinoviruses.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allergies and hay fever.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Health effects of ozone pollution.World Health Organization.Asthma.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Bronchitis.Ebell M, Lundgren Jerold, Youngpairoj S.How long does a cough last? Comparing patients' expectations with data from a systematic review of the literature.Ann Fam Med. 2013 Jan;11(1):5-13. doi:10.1370/afm.1430American Lung Association.Learn about cough.Kaiser Permanente.Relieving a cough.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance facts.Li H, Yew Leong F, Xu G, Ge Z, Wei Kang C, Hui Lim K.Dispersion of evaporating cough droplets in tropical outdoor environment.Phys Fluid. 2020 Nov;32(11):1-12. doi:10.1063/5.0026360
Canning B, Chang A, Bolser D, et al.Anatomy and neurophysiology of cough.Chest. 2014 Dec;146(6):1633-1648. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1481
Wheeler Hegland K, Troche MS, Brandimore AE, Davenport PW, Okun MS.Comparison of voluntary and reflex cough effectiveness in Parkinson’s disease.Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2014 Nov;20(11):1226-1230. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.09.010
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Choking: First aid and prevention.
Varicchio A, La Mantia I, Burnese FP, Ciprandi G.Inflammation, infection, and allergy of the upper airways: new insights from national and real-world studies.Italian J Ped. 2020 Feb;46(18):1-10. doi:10.1186/s13052-020-0782-z
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About rhinoviruses.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Allergies and hay fever.
United States Environmental Protection Agency.Health effects of ozone pollution.
World Health Organization.Asthma.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Bronchitis.
Ebell M, Lundgren Jerold, Youngpairoj S.How long does a cough last? Comparing patients' expectations with data from a systematic review of the literature.Ann Fam Med. 2013 Jan;11(1):5-13. doi:10.1370/afm.1430
American Lung Association.Learn about cough.
Kaiser Permanente.Relieving a cough.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance facts.
Li H, Yew Leong F, Xu G, Ge Z, Wei Kang C, Hui Lim K.Dispersion of evaporating cough droplets in tropical outdoor environment.Phys Fluid. 2020 Nov;32(11):1-12. doi:10.1063/5.0026360
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