What is a cough?

Coughing is a protective reflex. It can remove dust and other things that you have inhaled (breathed in). A cough can also get rid of mucus or phlegm (the word sounds like 'flem') from your throat and chest. Coughing is how your body cleans your lungs and airways.

Types of cough

You can have a:

• productive (chesty) cough
• non-productive (dry) cough

Coughs often get better on their own after a few weeks. If you still have a cough after 8 weeks it is known as a chronic or persistent cough. Speak to your doctor if you have a cough that doesn't go away.

Coughs in children

Common types of cough in children can be:

• asthma cough — look out for wheezing and shortness of breath
• post-infectious cough — a cough after a viral infection
• whooping cough — a bacterial infection in the lungs
• croup — a viral infection that causes your child's airways to make too much mucus

Read more about children with a cough or cold and when to see their doctor.

What symptoms are related to a cough?

The symptoms that come with a cough depend on its cause. Cough symptoms can vary from person to person.

Symptoms of a chesty cough

A productive or wet cough is a type of cough that makes mucus. It may cause a feeling of congestion or tightness in your chest.

When you have a productive cough, you cough up mucus. This is known as phlegm. The phlegm comes up from your lungs and lower airways.

A productive cough is not necessarily a sign of a more serious illness. You may not need antibiotics or other treatments. However, a productive cough can sometimes indicate a serious problem like pneumonia or heart failure.

If you have a chesty cough, your phlegm should be white or clear. If it becomes yellow, green or bloody, speak to your doctor as soon as possible.

Symptoms of a dry cough

A non-productive or dry cough does not produce any mucus or phlegm. It can feel tickly or irritating in your throat.

Coughing that lasts for more than 3 weeks may be a sign of a health problem. See your doctor if there is no clear reason for your cough or if it doesn't get better.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

What causes a cough?

There are many different causes for a cough. The cause can affect how long your cough lasts.

Acute cough

The most common cause of an acute (short-term) cough is a viral infection.

Viruses can infect your:

• nose
• nasal passages
• mouth
• throat
• voice box

This area of your body is called the 'upper respiratory tract'. Viruses can spread from there down to your lungs.

Common cold and flu viruses enter your upper respiratory tract. The infection causes inflammation or redness in your throat, windpipe (trachea) or lungs.

In healthy people, this type of cough normally goes away on its own within 2 to 4 weeks.

Other causes of short-term coughs can be:

• COVID-19
• laryngitis — an inflammation of your larynx (voice box) from infection, overuse or irritation
• sinusitis
• infections in the airways and lungs, such as bronchitis and pneumonia
• asthma or other lung diseases that are not well controlled

Persistent cough

A chronic (persistent) cough is one that lasts more than 8 weeks. Sometimes your cough reflex may become sensitised. This can cause an ongoing cough to develop. Many different health issues can cause a persistent cough.

Some of the more common causes are:

• Post-viral cough — following a viral respiratory tract infection.
• Ongoing sinusitis or post-nasal drip (also called upper airway cough syndrome) — mucus drips down your throat from the back of your nose or sinuses.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — ongoing blockage of the airflow in the lungs that interferes with breathing.
• Whooping cough (pertussis) — this may include spasms of coughing and continues for 2 weeks or more.
• Asthma — although people with asthma have other symptoms such as wheeze and chest tightness.
• Habit cough (also called 'somatic cough syndrome') — there is no underlying disease that causes the cough. It goes away when the person is asleep.

Some other common causes are:

• Reflux (GORD) — this happens when stomach acid comes up into the windpipe. It can cause irritation.
• Globus pharyngeus — this feels like a tightness or lump in your throat. You might feel you need to cough or clear your throat, or you may have thick mucus or a hoarse voice.
• Thyroid problems — this includes hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. You might feel the need to cough or clear your throat, have trouble swallowing or pain around your thyroid gland.

A persistent cough can also be caused by these serious conditions:

• Lung cancer or cancer of the larynx.
• Bronchiectasis — where the airways are damaged. You can't clear mucus properly, which leads to chest infections. It can cause a productive cough.
• Tuberculosis and other chronic infections.
• Cystic fibrosis — a genetic condition that affects your lungs.
• Silicosis — a long-term lung disease that is caused by breathing in silica dust.

Other causes of persistent cough include:

• Obstructive sleep apnoea — a common sleep disorder which causes snoring and stop-start breathing during sleep.
• Some medicines — such as ACE inhibitors. Talk with your doctor about this as other medicines may be available that don't cause a cough.
• Heart failure — a condition where your heart muscle is weak and can't pump blood around your body properly.

When should I see my doctor?

You should see your doctor if you:

• have a cough that lasts for more than 4 weeks
• are short of breath or have chest pain or unexplained tiredness
• cough up blood
• have green mucus or phlegm
• have trouble sleeping because of coughing
• have unexplained problems like weight loss or a fever

ASK YOUR DOCTOR — Preparing for an appointment? Use the Question Builder for general tips on what to ask your GP or specialist.

When to seek urgent care

Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance if you or someone you know:

• has difficulty breathing — can't speak without gasping or pausing
• has chest pains that won't go away
• has pain that is spreading to arms, back, neck and jaw
• is drowsy (sleepy) or does not respond
• has lips turning pale, blue or grey

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

How is a cough treated?

Treatment for a cough depends on the cause, type of cough and duration of cough.

A short-term cough will usually get better without treatment.

If you have a persistent cough, your doctor will want to treat any underlying health issue that is causing your cough. They can prescribe medicines for GORD, asthma or COPD.

Your doctor may also recommend speech therapy or prescribe a neuromodulator if you have a persistent cough.

There may be triggers or activities that make the symptoms of a persistent cough worse. These should be avoided.

Self-management

There are some things you can do to ease the symptoms of cough:

• Stay well hydrated — it's important to drink plenty of water. If you have an existing health condition, check with your doctor about how much water is right for you.
• Rest and avoid vigorous activity until symptoms go away.
• Inhale steam from hot water — take care not to scald yourself
• Add some honey — it may help to soothe your throat and reduce irritation
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol — these can dry out your throat.

Cough medicines

There are many over-the-counter medicines for coughs and colds.

Bromhexine is a medicine that can be used for chesty coughs. It helps break up phlegm and can reduce how often you cough.

Cough suppressants can be used for dry coughs.

Antihistamines and decongestants can also be used if you have a cough.

There is not much evidence that these medicines are helpful for helping a cough clear up sooner. They may help with some symptoms, but they may have side effects.

Cough medicines can harm young children. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) says that cough and cold medicines should NOT be given to children younger than 6 years.

Adults and older children aged 6 to 11 years can use cough and cold medicines. Children should only be given these medicines if advised by a doctor or pharmacist.

Antibiotics

Most short-term coughs are due to viral infections of the upper respiratory tract. These coughs usually go away on their own.

Antibiotics do not help viral infections because they don't kill viruses. Antibiotics may do harm in these circumstances. Your doctor can explain when antibiotics may be useful.

Other remedies

There are many common cold and cough remedies that do not have good scientific evidence to support their use.

Examples of these are:

• vitamin C
• salt therapy
• humidifiers

Smoking

Smoking, vaping or breathing other people's smoke can make cough symptoms worse. Try to avoid being around people who are smoking.

If you are a smoker, try to cut down or quit. For advice on quitting smoking, visit Quit or read more about how to stop.

How can I prevent a cough?

You can't prevent a cough caused by a cold, flu or COVID-19. However, you can lower your chances of getting sick in the first place.

Self-care

Wearing a face mask is likely to lower your chances of catching a respiratory virus. You may want to wear a mask when you're in a high-risk setting such as:

• in crowded areas
• on public transport
• waiting to see your doctor

Good ventilation and cleaning (filtration) the air in a room can help to lower the chance of spreading a virus.

At home, you can open doors and windows to allow a good flow of air. You may also want to use an air purifier to lower the chance of other people catching the virus.

You can help stop the spread of respiratory viruses by:

• staying away from people who are coughing or sneezing
• coughing or sneezing into a tissue
• using good hand hygiene (wash your hands often)
• staying home when sick

Vaccination

Adults and children can get vaccinated against some bacterial infections that cause coughing. Vaccines are available for whooping cough (pertussis) and pneumococcal disease.

You can also get vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza.

Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about vaccines.

Medicines

If you think a cough is caused by a side effect of a medicine, see your doctor. A different medicine may be available.

If a cough is caused by asthma, your doctor can prescribe medicines that help.

Smoking

Tobacco smoke is a big trigger for a cough. Avoid cigarette smoke.

Pollen

Stay indoors if there is a high pollen count in the environment.

What are the complications of a cough?

An ongoing or intense cough can cause complications, such as:

• sleep disruption
• headache
• hoarseness and laryngitis
• back and chest pain
• fractured rib

Resources and support

Lung Foundation Australia has resources and advice about coughs.

The Australian Centre for Disease Control has more information about stopping the spread of respiratory viruses.

You can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Languages other than English

NSW Health has information about how to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Health Translations has resources about how to get your flu vaccine.