Cough

What can cause a cough?

Some of the main causes of short-term (acute) and persistent (chronic) coughs are outlined below.

Short-term coughs

Common causes of a short-term cough include:

an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) that affects the throat, windpipe or sinuses examples area cold , flu , laryngitis , sinusitis or whooping cough
a lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) that affects your lungs or lower airwaysexamples areacute bronchitis or pneumonia
an allergy , such as allergic rhinitis or hay fever
a flare-up of a long-term condition such as asthma , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis
inhaled dust or smoke

In rare cases, a short-term cough may be the first sign of a health condition that causes apersistent cough.

Persistent coughs

A persistent cough may be caused by:

along-termrespiratory tract infection, such aschronic bronchitis
asthma this also usually causes other symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath
an allergy
smokinga smoker's cough can also be a symptom ofCOPD
bronchiectasis where the airways of the lungs become abnormally widened
postnasal drip mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose, caused by a condition such as rhinitis orsinusitis
gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) where the throat becomesirritated by leaking stomach acid
a prescribed medicine, such as an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor), which is used to treathigh blood pressure andcardiovascular disease

Rarely, a persistent cough can bea symptom of a more serious condition, such as lung cancer , heart failure , a pulmonary embolism (blood clot on the lung) or tuberculosis .

Coughs in children

Coughs in children often have similar causes to those mentioned above. For example, respiratory tract infections,asthma and GORD can all affect children.

Causes of coughs that are more common in children than adults include:

bronchiolitis amild respiratory tract infection that usually causes cold-like symptoms
croup this causes a distinctive barking cough and a harsh sound known as stridor when the childbreathes in
whooping cough look out for symptoms such as intense, hacking bouts of coughing, vomiting, and a"whoop" sound with each sharp intake of breath after coughing

Occasionally, a persistent cough in a child can be asign of a serious long-term condition, such as cystic fibrosis.