HOW TO SHAKE OFF THAT COUGH

Winter brings with it the usual onslaught of colds and coughs – here’s how to tell if it’s something more serious

It’s becoming increasingly I common for patients with lingering coughs to come to see me. Most coughs are mild and clear up on their own, but some can signal more serious conditions, so it’s always worth talking to your doctor if you just can’t shake one. In the meantime, here’s an idea of what to look out for…

DON’T SUPPRESS IT

Coughing is a protective mechanism to help you clear your airways of any muck. So, annoying as it is, if you suppress it you’ll probably be ill for longer. Coughs can be acute or chronic: acute coughs last up to three weeks; after that, it becomes chronic. Then it’s usually a virus dragging on, or you might have had two infections one after another. There are also “productive” and “non-productive” coughs: productive means it brings something up, so they’re usually chesty. An unproductive cough is dry or tickly – and really irritating!

GET CHECKED FOR ALLERGIES

Allergies to mould spores, dust mites, pet fur or pollen can give you a cough. It tends to be dry and irritating and you may also have a runny nose. If you’re fine at work but tend to cough uncontrollably in bed, that’s a clue; you could have damp in your bedroom. It can also give you a post-nasal drip, where mucus drips down your throat and tickles the nerve endings, making you cough. That usually responds well to steroid nasal spray. You might also have itchy eyes and a sneeze – but not always.

CUT BACK ON ACIDIC FOODS

People with heartburn frequently wake up in the morning either with a dry throat or a cough, but there’s no obvious burning sensation in their chest. When you lie down in bed, acid can irritate your throat, making you cough. Go on antacids and the cough goes. It’s often missed, but if you have a cough and a slight sore throat, that could be the answer.

TEST FOR ASTHMA

If you have a dry cough that has a bit of a rattle or a wheeze, it may be undiagnosed asthma. You might also have difficulty breathing, which gets worse when you exercise. Your doctor can test for asthma by having you blow into a peak flow monitor. Or if you already know you have asthma and you’re coughing a lot, you probably need to have your treatment adjusted.

WATCH OUT FOR FEVER

Pneumonia affects around 8 in 1,000 adults each year, particularly in winter. It can affect anyone but it’s more common in the elderly. A cough is the main symptom alongside a high fever, shortness of breath, chest pain,

joint pain, sweating and a loss of appetite. It could also be bronchitis, an infection of the main airways of the lungs. The symptoms are a chesty cough, a sore throat, a headache, a runny or blocked nose, aches and pains and tiredness. Take ibuprofen, drink lots of fluid and rest. See your doctor if it isn’t improving.

vaccinate against Whooping Cough

Whooping cough is highly contagious and so powerful it cracks your ribs! The symptoms start off like a cold but then you get that telltale intense cough. It can make you gasp for air or throw up, and make you turn red. It’s treated with antibiotics. And there are routine vaccinations that can protect babies and children – ask your GP.

quit smoking

Heavy smokers can get a really nasty, ongoing cough from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It can be worse in the morning, but if it’s really bad it lasts all day – so bad you need to be on oxygen. It’s productive for more than three weeks alongside other nasty sideeffects like chest tightness. Your doctor will listen to your chest and then refer you for tests. If you’re suffering like this, you really need to get advice to stop smoking.

treat it, don’t spread it

Cough medicines don’t do very much. Drinking hot water with honey and lemon is just as effective, or codeine can help bad coughs. When we cough we release thousands of droplets of saliva, so cover your mouth and keep washing your hands. Most coughs are caused by a virus, so they should pass in time, although bacterial ones tend to bring up yellowish green mucus and make you feel really ill. Even then, if you’re young and healthy, doctors probably won’t prescribe antibiotics unless it really persists.

know When it’s serious

If you have a cough and it seems to be notably affecting your chest and your breathing, it’s worth seeing your GP. Coughing up blood, wheeziness, tightness in your chest, weight loss, fever and lack of energy are all signs you should see your GP, too. If you’ve got a bad infection, coughing up a few little flecks of blood isn’t unusual, so don’t be too worried – but there shouldn’t be any more than that.