If your cough is hard to shake off, more than one virus may be at work

MY patient told me he’d been suffering with a cough for more than a month.

It was, unsurprisingly, making him quite fed up. A persistent cough can be irritating – enough to make you forget it’s your body protecting itself.

The cough reflex helps you clear your airways of irritants but if it lasts more than a few days then it’s sensible to speak to the pharmacist.

Most of the time, it’s caused by something simple like a virus, particularly if you have other symptoms such as a runny nose. The pharmacist will be able to recommend an appropriate treatment – whether it’s dry or tickly.

If the cough sticks around for more than three weeks, it might be time to see a doctor but usually it’s still nothing much to be concerned about.

I asked my patient if his cough had been consistent for the month he’d had it. But once he’d thought about it, it had disappeared for a week or so.

That’s not unusual – we get several viruses per year which might cause a cough.

Sometimes they run into each other, making it seem as if it’s the same one.

If someone comes in with a cough that won’t go away for several weeks I’m looking for things like asthma, chronic bronchitis, sinusitis or even acid reflux – stomach acid can irritate the airways.

Over-40s who smoke or who have shortness of breath, chest pain and are coughing up red or rusty sputum definitely need a further check.

Giving up smoking can prompt a temporary increase in coughing – but that is your lungs clearing themselves of toxins as they start to heal.

So don’t use coughing as an excuse to get back on the cigarettes!