Coughing and difficulty breathing

This page is reference information compiled from the cited sources. It is not medical advice. For any decision about health, diagnosis or care, consult a qualified professional.

What it is

A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. It is a protective reflex that can be repetitive, following three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually accompanied by a distinctive sound. Frequent coughing usually indicates the presence of a disease. Irregular coughing is usually caused by a respiratory tract infection but can also be triggered by many other conditions. In healthy children it may be normal in the absence of any disease to cough ten times a day, and a healthy adult also coughs 18.6 times a day on average.

Key facts

Many viruses and bacteria benefit by causing the host to cough, which helps to spread the disease to new hosts. The most common cause of an acute or subacute cough is a viral respiratory tract infection. In the vast majority of cases, acute coughs, i.e. coughs shorter than 3 weeks, are due to the common cold. In adults with a chronic cough, i.e. a cough longer than 8 weeks, more than 90% of cases are due to post-nasal drip, asthma, eosinophilic bronchitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Asthma is a common cause of chronic cough in adults and children, and coughing may be the only symptom the person has from their asthma. Chronic bronchitis is defined clinically as a persistent cough that produces sputum (phlegm) and mucus, for at least three months in two consecutive years.

When to seek professional help

The source text associates professional care with situations requiring treatment for the underlying cause of a cough. Treatment should target the cause, such as smoking cessation or discontinuing medications like ACE inhibitors that can cause cough as a side effect. For conditions like asthma, treatment with bronchodilators or inhaled steroids is indicated depending on severity. For gastroesophageal reflux disease, treatment involves anti-acid medications and lifestyle changes with surgery indicated in cases not manageable with conservative measures. For a postinfectious cough that does not respond to conventional cough treatments, medication may include ipratropium to treat inflammation. For chronic cough attributed to a sensory neuropathic disorder, treatment may include the use of certain neuralgia medications.

Source: Cough (CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)), retrieved 2026-09-22.