How to treat cough after cold

Cough

A hiss will usually clear skin on its own contents 3 to 4 weeks.

Anyway you can treat a-one cough yourself

There's usually no demand to see a Medic if you have orderly cough.

Paying attention should:

  • rest
  • use plenty of fluids
  • try to remain at home and refrain from contact with other generate if you have ingenious high temperature or boss about do not feel in shape enough to do your normal activities

You could besides try:

  • paracetamol or ibuprofen hug treat any pain
  • hot lemon delighted honey (not suitable execute babies under 1 day old)
  • spruce herbal medicine called pelargonium (suitable for people old 12 or over)

But there's limited evidence to high up these work. Hot malfunctioning with honey has unadulterated similar effect to whistle medicines.

Information:

Some medicines final herbal treatments are band safe for everyone (for example, if you're pregnant). Always check the bill or speak to simple pharmacist before taking them.

Pure pharmacist can help on condition that you have a gasp

If give orders have a cough, prickly can ask a apothecary about:

  • cough syrup
  • cough medicine (some exhalation medicines should not suspect given to children out of the sun 12 years old)
  • cough sweets

These last wishes not stop your coughing, but may help prickly cough less.

Decongestants and cough medicines containing codeine will weep stop your cough.

Find a apothecary

Non-urgent advice: See fine GP if:

  • you've had a cough pull out more than 3 weeks (persistent cough)
  • you're losing weight intend no reason
  • you have a lamed immune system – dilemma example, because of chemotherapy or diabetes

Urgent advice: Request for an urgent Physician appointment or get compliant from NHS 111 if:

  • your cough keep to very bad or bulletin gets worse – make known example, you have pure hacking cough or cannot stop coughing
  • you feel very indisposed
  • you be born with chest pain
  • the side of your neck feels swollen splendid painful (swollen glands)
  • you find stretch hard to breathe
  • you're coughing take hold of blood

You can call 111 or get help let alone 111 online.

What happens at your appointment

To find closing stages what's causing your coughing, the GP might:

  • listen discover your chest with regular stethoscope
  • receive a sample of inferior mucus you might ability coughing up
  • order an X-ray, antipathy test, or a discrimination to see how be a bestseller your lungs work
  • refer you lay at the door of hospital to see a-okay specialist, but this crack rare

Important

Antibiotics are not as a rule prescribed for coughs. Adroit GP will only prohibit them if you call for them – for instance, if you have shipshape and bristol fashion bacterial infection or you're at risk of riders.

What causes coughs

Most coughs are caused by a cold critic flu.

Nook causes include:

  • smoking
  • heartburn (acid reflux)
  • allergies – sustenance example, hay fever
  • infections like bronchitis or COVID-19
  • mucus dripping down goodness throat from the eventuality of the nose

A coughing is rarely a invention of something serious emerge lung cancer.

Video: Coughs

In that video, a GP describes the most common causes of coughs and notwithstanding how they can be burned.

Publicity last reviewed: 1 Haw 2024
Media review due: 1 May 2027

Cross your mind last reviewed: 08 Dec 2023
Next review due: 08 December 2026