How long do I wait to see a doctor for a cough?
How long do I wait to see a doctor for a cough?
At-home care can often ease a cough. However, sometimes a cough needs to be evaluated by a doctor. Call your doctor if your cough lasts longer than 3 weeks or if it’s accompanied by symptoms like: fever.
Is it normal to have a cough for 3 weeks?
A cough that lasts for 3-8 weeks is often caused by a cold or other lung infection that lasts longer than normal. A cough that lasts 3-8 weeks may go away by itself but it may also need treatment.
Is it normal to have a cough for 2 weeks?
Two-plus weeks of coughing is quite common in most cases of viral respiratory infections such as mine, says Matthew Mintz, an internist with George Washington Medical Faculty Associates. The average duration of cough, according to a recent study, is 18 days. If you think that seems like a long time, you’re not alone.
Is it normal to have a cough for a week?
An occasional cough is normal and healthy. A cough that persists for several weeks or one that brings up discolored or bloody mucus may indicate a condition that needs medical attention. At times, coughing can be very forceful.
When to worry about a cough that won’t go away?
“A majority of coughs are not dangerous,” says Jason C. Rho, MD, a pulmonologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. But if your cough lingers for more than 3 or 4 weeks-sooner if you have a fever-it’s time to see your doctor. When a cough persists for 8 weeks or longer or goes away only to come back, that’s a chronic cough.
What does coughing for a week mean?
A constant cough is usually considered to be a condition that lasts for more than a few weeks, and can be caused by acid reflux, smoking, asthma, lung diseases, and certain types of lung cancer. Sometimes developing a minor illness such as the common cold or influenza may exacerbate these conditions and lead to a constant cough.
Should cough last more than 2 weeks?
A productive cough is one that produces mucus, or phlegm . A continuous, or chronic, productive cough is not normal and may indicate a disorder of the lungs. A cough lasting for more than two weeks should be evaluated by a physician.