Why won't my cough go away after a cold?
A cough that outlives its cold by weeks is usually post-viral airway irritation. Inflamed passages overreact to cold air, talking and laughing long after the virus has gone. Average cough duration is nearly three weeks, far longer than most people expect.
Post-nasal drip and silent reflux keep many coughs alive; treating those ends them.
The eight week mark is the formal line: beyond it, or at any point with blood, breathlessness, weight loss, night sweats or a smoking history, the cough earns an examination and usually a chest X-ray rather than another syrup.
Source: NHS, cough
See a doctor promptly if
- Coughing up blood, even a small amount, on more than one occasion
- Cough with unintentional weight loss, drenching night sweats or persistent fever
- Cough lasting more than three weeks in a current or former smoker
- Increasing breathlessness, chest pain, or a hoarse voice lasting over three weeks
Try the symptom diary10 seconds a day, free, nothing to installThe first question in the room is when, how often and what came before it. A dated week answers all three.
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
If you are buying a thermometer
A basic digital stick thermometer is accurate and costs a few dollars. Forehead scanners are fine for quick checks on children; ear thermometers need good technique to read true.
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