When to Worry About a Persistent Cough

You cough when your body needs to expel an irritant from your airways. That irritant could be anything from dust or smoke to pathogens such as bacteria or viruses.

Coughs are also an asthma symptom and often part of an allergy response. So when you start coughing and don’t stop, you might wonder why and what your body is trying to get rid of.

In this month’s blog, the team at Comprehensive Primary Care in Lawrenceville and Suwanee, Georgia, discusses indications a medical professional should check out your persistent cough. 

You just keep coughing

You may have developed your cough as a response to a cold. When you cough, your body uses speeds of about 50 mph to get pathogens, such as cold viruses, out of your airway.

But if your cough doesn’t go away after a couple of weeks, or you’ve been coughing for about 14 days without a cold, something else could be triggering that cough.

Coughs that last for more than two weeks may indicate a lower respiratory infection, long COVID, or lung disease.

Untreated persistent coughs may lead to bronchitis and other complications.

Breathing is difficult or painful

Because they’re so forceful, coughs put a lot of stress on your respiratory muscles and lungs. So much stress, in fact, that severe coughs can crack a rib. A cough that causes pain in your chest or ribs could signal something requiring medical intervention.

If you cough and have difficulty catching your breath, don’t wait two weeks — go to the nearest emergency room. You could have a serious or potentially life-threatening condition, such as heart failure, an embolism, or a collapsed lung.

If you experience shortness of breath or coughing pain, go to the ER immediately.

You cough up blood or phlegm

A serious sign that could indicate lung disease or damage is coughing up blood or bloody or discolored phlegm. Coughing up blood can also point to a problem elsewhere in your body. Possibilities include:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Lung abscess
• Lung cancer
• Mitral valve stenosis
• Parasite infection
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism
• Tuberculosis

You may also have a foreign object lodged in your lungs. Recreational drug use, such as crack cocaine, may also lead to bloody coughs.

Your cough has consequences

Nonstop coughing can wear you out. As mentioned, the force of coughs may be enough to fracture your ribs. Chronic coughs can also cause:

• Insomnia
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Vomiting
• Stress incontinence
• Confusion or brain fog

Many severe conditions — including congestive heart failure and sleep apnea — combine symptoms of fatigue or confusion with a persistent cough. If you cough constantly and have other symptoms, contact us immediately.

Get treatment for a persistent cough

If your cough persists and lowers your quality of life, don’t wait to seek relief. To find out what’s causing — and how to stop — your cough, contact the Comprehensive Primary Care office near you by phone or online today.