Much like a nasty cold or flu, this year’s cold and flu season is lingering, with impacts expected for a few more months in the U.S.
People may fall ill as late as May and new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows flu cases are ticking up again after a few weeks of falling infection, death and hospitalization numbers.
Flu and other forms of respiratory illness can leave you with a hacking chest cough that sends friends and bystanders alike heading for the hills. But, how do you know when to ride out the cough and when to seek the help of a medical professional? Experts say the key lies in the cough’s symptoms and length.
People should go see a doctor if their cough lasts for more than a week or a couple of weeks.
“We’re especially concerned when a cough worsens, is associated with a fever or causes breathing problems,” UnityPoint Health Dr. Loras Even said in a statement. “Patients experiencing these symptoms should come in for an evaluation.”
What causes a cough?
A cough is a reflex that forces air out of the airways, helping to protect your airway and lungs against irritants.
It is often triggered by a scratchy or ticklish sensation in the throat, which is commonly due to a viral infection, inflammation, allergies, pollutants, fluid dripping from the nose, acid reflux or a dry throat.
Sometimes a cough is a sign of something more serious, depending on its longevity, the Mayo Clinic says. It could signal that you are suffering from heart failure, the lung disease COPD, lung cancer, lung scarring and cystic fibrosis.
It may even be caused by food or other items lodged in the lungs.
Coughs lasting for under three weeks – known as “acute” coughs – will likely clear up on their own and will not need medical attention unless a patient is experiencing other symptoms, such as fever, headache, drowsiness or shortness of breath, according to the American Lung Association.
Unfortunately, chronic cases can hang around for eight weeks or longer in adults.
“Chronic coughs last longer than eight weeks and can be the sign of a more serious or chronic lung disease,” the association says.
Serious symptoms
The way a cough sounds may also signal a bigger problem. Whooping, barking or wheezing can indicate that you have an infection or that your airway is blocked.
Whooping cough, for example, can lead to pneumonia and become fatal.
So, when should you seek medical attention?
You may need to go to an Emergency Department or urgent care if you experience green, yellow or bloody mucus, sharp and persistent chest pain, vomiting, trouble breathing, sudden weight loss, a fever lasting more than a day or two or if you feel like you’re choking.
Coughing a lot may lead to dizziness, sweating, broken ribs, passing out and unintended bladder loss, as well, the Mayo Clinic notes.
“Please see a doctor,” Dr. Krystal Green, a primary care physician with New Jersey’s Inspira Health, told USA Today, “if your cough lasts more than seven to 10 days, you’re coughing up blood, you’re experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, fevers that do not improve with fever-reducing medications or experience unexplained weight loss.”
