A cough is your body’s way of responding when something irritates your throat or airways. An irritant stimulates nerves that send a message to your brain. The brain then tells muscles in your chest and abdomen to push air out of your lungs to force out the irritant.

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. Prolonged, vigorous coughing can irritate the lungs and cause even more coughing. It is also exhausting and can cause sleeplessness, dizziness or fainting, headaches, urinary incontinence, vomiting, and even broken ribs.

Causes

While an occasional cough is normal, a cough that persists may be a sign of a medical problem.

A cough is considered “acute” if it lasts less than three weeks. It is considered “chronic” if it lasts longer than eight weeks (four weeks in children).

Some causes of coughs include:

Common causes — acute
Common cold
Influenza (flu)
Inhaling an irritant (such as smoke, dust, chemicals or a foreign body)
Pneumonia — an infection in one or both lungs.
Whooping cough
Common causes — chronic
Allergies
Asthma (most common in children)
Bronchitis
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Postnasal drip
Others
Acute sinusitis
Bronchiectasis (a chronic lung condition in which abnormal widening of bronchial tubes inhibits mucus clearing)
Bronchiolitis (especially in young children)
Choking: First aid (especially in children)
Chronic sinusitis
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) — the blanket term for a group of diseases that block airflow from the lungs — including emphysema.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Croup (especially in young children)
Cystic fibrosis
Emphysema
Heart failure
Laryngitis
Lung cancer
Medications called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
Neuromuscular diseases that weaken the coordination of upper airway and swallowing muscles
Pulmonary embolism — a blood clot in an artery in the lung.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — especially in young children
Sarcoidosis
Tuberculosis

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