Cough

A cough is a reflex action to clear your airways of phlegm and irritants such as dust or smoke. It’s rarely a sign of anything serious.

Most coughs clear up within 3 weeks and don’t need any treatment.

A dry cough means it’s tickly and doesn’t produce any mucus (phlegm). A chesty cough means phlegm is produced to help clear your airways.

If you smoke, quitting is likely to help improve your cough. Read more about stopping smoking.

Cough self-help guide

Advice for people over the age of 5 with a cough.

Complete our self-help guide to check your symptoms and find out what to do next.

Self-help guide

Return to Symptoms

Enter age

Last Updated:

Next Review Date:

Find your local services

Search for a service near you by entering your postcode below.

Please input your postcode in the following format: A12 1BC.

Postcode

NHS inform has more information on this condition.

Immediate action required: Phone 999 or go to A&E if:

you have severe difficulty breathing – for example, you struggle to speak without pausing, gasping or choking
you have severe chest pain in the middle of your chest that isn’t going away – it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing
you have pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw
you feel more drowsy than usual or find it more difficult to wake up
your lips or skin are turning very pale, blue or grey – on brown or black skin this is easier to see on the palms of your hands

Your child:

has lips or skin that are turning pale, blue or grey – on brown or black skin this is easier to see on the palms of their hands
has severe difficulty breathing – they may make grunting noises or suck their stomach in under their ribcage
is breathing fast or stops or pauses
is pulling in at their throat area (tracheal tug) or their windpipe is more prominent
is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do – they may find it difficult to focus on you or are more difficult to wake up than usual
is less than 3 months old and has a temperature of 38°C (101°F) or above and has not had a vaccination in the past 2 days
is less than 3 months old and has a temperature of 36°C (97°F) or less and has not had a vaccination in the past 2 days

Urgent advice: Contact your GP practice urgently if you:

are more short of breath than usual
have pain when breathing in or coughing
are feeling confused, dizzy, or lightheaded
feel sick or are being sick – for example, you can’t keep food or fluids down
are coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
have heart palpitations – this may feel like your heart is racing, going too slowly or skipping a beat or like a fluttering feeling in your chest
are peeing less than usual – this can be a sign of dehydration
have a very high or low temperature – for example, you feel either hot or cold to touch or you’re shivering

Your child:

is more short of breath than usual
has pain when breathing in or coughing
is feeling confused, dizzy or lightheaded
feels sick or is being sick – for example, they can’t keep food or fluids down
is coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more, or is showing other signs of dehydration
has a very high or low temperature – for example, they feel either hot or cold to touch or are shivering

If your GP practice is closed, phone 111.

Non-urgent advice: Speak to your GP practice if:

you have breathlessness which is not improving
you have had a cough for more than 3 weeks
your symptoms are not improving or they are affecting your daily life

If your GP is unsure what’s causing your cough, they may refer you to a specialist. They may also request some tests, such as a chest X-ray, allergy tests, breathing tests, and an analysis of a sample of your phlegm to check for infection.

Treatment for cough

Treatment isn’t always necessary for short-term coughs because it’s likely to be a viral infection that will get better on its own within a few weeks.

Things you can do to help your symptoms

Do

rest
drink plenty of fluids
take painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen – always read the manufacturer’s instructions

Treatment from a pharmacist

You can speak to a pharmacist for advice about coughs and cough treatments.

Find your nearest pharmacy

Cough medicines and remedies

There’s no evidence that cough medicines work.

Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn’t be given to children under the age of 6. Children aged 6 to 12 should only use them on the advice of a pharmacist or doctor.

A homemade remedy containing honey and lemon is likely to be just as useful and safer to take. Honey shouldn’t be given to babies under the age of 1.

Treating the underlying cause

If your cough has a specific cause, treating this may help. For example:

asthma can be treated with inhaled steroids to reduce inflammation in your airways
allergies can be treated by avoiding things you’re allergic to and taking antihistamines
bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics
reflux, also known as GORD, can be treated with antacids to neutralise your stomach acid and medication to reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces
COPD can be treated with bronchodilators to widen your airways

What causes a cough?

Short-term coughs

Common causes of a short-term cough include:

an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) that affects the throat, windpipe or sinuses – for example a cold, flu, laryngitis, sinusitis or whooping cough
a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) that affects your lungs or lower airways – for example acute bronchitis or pneumonia
an allergy, such as allergic rhinitis or hay fever
a flare-up of a long-term condition such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchiectasis
breathing in dust or smoke

Persistent coughs

A persistent cough may be caused by:

asthma – this also usually causes other symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath
an allergy
smoking – a smoker’s cough can also be a symptom of COPD
bronchiectasis – where the airways of the lungs become abnormally widened
gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) – where the throat becomes irritated by stomach acid
a prescribed medicine, such as an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor), which is used to treat high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease – examples include ramipril and lisinopril

In most cases, a doctor will need to know if you are producing much more or darker phlegm than usual.

Often, the cause of a persistent cough is unknown (idiopathic).

Rarely, a persistent cough can be a symptom of a more serious condition, such as lung cancer, heart failure, a pulmonary embolism (blood clot on the lung) or tuberculosis.

Coughs in children

Coughs in children can also be caused by respiratory tract infections, asthma or GORD.

Causes of coughs that are more common in children than adults include:

bronchiolitis – a mild respiratory tract infection that usually causes cold-like symptoms
croup – causes a distinctive barking cough and a harsh sound known as stridor when the child breathes in
whooping cough – causes symptoms such as intense, hacking bouts of coughing, vomiting, and a ‘whoop’ sound with each sharp intake of breath after coughing

Occasionally, a persistent cough in a child can be a sign of a serious long-term condition, such as cystic fibrosis.