Cough

When to see your GP

There's usually no need to see your GP if you or your childhave a mild cough for a week or two. However, you should seek medical advice if:

you've had a cough for more than three weeks
your cough is particularly severe or isgetting worse
you cough up blood or experience shortness of breath , breathing difficulties or chest pain
you have any other worrying symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss , a persistent change in your voice,or lumps or swellings in your neck

If your GP is unsure what's causing your cough, they may refer you to a hospital specialist for an assessment. They may also request some tests, such asa chest X-ray , allergy tests , breathing tests, and an analysis of a sample of your phlegm to check for infection.

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for cough

Introduction

Read about some of the main causes or short- and long-term coughs, when to see your GP, and what treatments are available.

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 (

When to see your GP

There's usually no need to see your GP if you or your childhave a mild cough for a week or two. However, you should seek medical advice if: you've had a cough for more than three weeks your cough is

What treatments are available?

Treatment isn't always necessary for mild, short-term coughs because it's likely to be a viral infection that will getbetter on its own within a few weeks. You can look after yourself at home by resti

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