Cough: common causes, home care and when to get checked
Most coughs come from colds, flu or a chest cold and fade within about 3 weeks. A cough that lasts longer, comes with a lasting fever or wheezing, or keeps getting worse should be checked. Urgent Care Center of Westmont in Westmont, IL can listen to your lungs and test for the cause.
A cough is a reflex that clears your airways and helps your body heal.
Chest cold symptoms usually last less than 3 weeks, and the CDC says to see a provider if they last longer.
Antibiotics will not help a chest cold, which is usually caused by a virus.
Children under 4 should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold medicine.
Honey can ease a cough in people 1 year and older, but never give honey to a baby under 1.
What usually causes a cough?
Coughing is how your body clears mucus and irritants from your airways. MedlinePlus explains that a sudden cough usually comes with a cold, flu or a chest cold. Here are the common causes, listed roughly from most to least common.
Common causes of a cough
Cause
How common
Typical clues
Common cold and other viruses
Most common
Runny nose, sore throat, mild cough
Flu, COVID-19 or RSV
Very common in fall and winter
Fever, body aches, tiredness, often a sudden start
Chest cold (acute bronchitis)
Common, often after a cold
Cough with or without mucus, chest tightness, sometimes wheezing
Allergies or sinus drainage
Common
Mucus dripping down the throat, sneezing, itchy eyes or facial pressure
Asthma, acid reflux (GERD), smoking or vaping, some medicines
Common causes of a cough that lasts for weeks
Wheezing, heartburn, or a cough that never fully goes away
Pneumonia
Less common, but more serious
Fever, chills, shortness of breath, chest pain when you breathe or cough
Whooping cough (pertussis)
Uncommon
Coughing fits, a 'whoop' when breathing in, vomiting after coughing
How to tell the causes apart
The sound of the cough and the symptoms that come with it are useful clues. They are not a diagnosis, but they help you decide what to do next.
Wet, with mucus, after a cold, without a high fever
A chest cold (acute bronchitis)
With fever, chills, shortness of breath or chest pain when breathing
Possible pneumonia, which needs an exam
Barking like a seal in a young child, with a hoarse voice
Croup
In violent fits that end in a whoop or vomiting
Possible whooping cough
With wheezing or a tight chest
Asthma or a chest cold
Lasting for weeks, with heartburn
Acid reflux (GERD)
Mucus color alone does not tell a virus from bacteria. Your clinician looks at the whole picture, including fever, breathing and the lung exam.
Home care for a cough, and how long to wait
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These tips come from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. They ease the cough while your body heals.
Rest and drink plenty of fluids. Fluids thin mucus so it is easier to cough up.
Use a clean humidifier or cool-mist vaporizer, or breathe steam from a warm shower.
Try honey for anyone 1 year or older. For children, 2 to 5 mL (about half a teaspoon to a teaspoon) as needed.
Use saline nose spray or drops to loosen mucus from a stuffy nose.
Do not give lozenges to children under 4 because they can choke.
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicine: none for children under 4, only with a doctor's okay for ages 4 to 6, and follow the label after age 6.
Stay away from smoke, vaping and other irritants.
How long to wait: chest cold symptoms usually last less than 3 weeks. MedlinePlus notes a cough can linger for a few weeks after the infection itself has cleared. A cough that is slowly getting better is reassuring. A cough that is getting worse, or lasting past 3 weeks, should be checked.
When should you go to urgent care for a cough?
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Urgent care is the right place when you can breathe and talk comfortably but your cough is lasting, worsening or paired with other symptoms. Come in if:
Your cough lasts more than 3 weeks
A fever lasts more than 5 days, or reaches 104°F (40°C)
You feel short of breath with activity, or you have new wheezing
A cough or fever gets better, then comes back worse
You have violent coughing fits, or fits that end in vomiting
You keep getting bronchitis
You are 65 or older, pregnant, or have asthma, heart disease, diabetes or a weak immune system, and you have a new cough with fever
If any warning sign listed at the bottom of this page applies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room instead of urgent care.
Urgent Care Center of Westmont, also known as Immediate Care Center of Westmont, sees coughs at both of our Westmont, IL clinics, 7 days a week. Our team is led by board-certified physicians.
QuestionsHow long you have coughed, whether you bring up mucus, fever, smoking or vaping, asthma, and who you have been around.
ExamYour clinician listens to your lungs with a stethoscope, checks your breathing, and looks at your ears, nose and throat.
Tests that fit your symptomsNose swabs for flu, COVID-19 and RSV are available. If pneumonia is possible, MedlinePlus says a chest X-ray is likely. Our X-ray is on site at the 29 N Cass Ave clinic only.
Your treatment planFor a chest cold or bronchitis, care focuses on relief, and an inhaled medicine may help if you are wheezing. For pneumonia, your clinician explains treatment, which may include prescription medicine when appropriate.
Many insurance plans are accepted, and self-pay visits start from $125.
Cough in kids vs. adults
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Children
Croup is most common from 3 months to 5 years. It causes a barking cough and hoarse voice, is often worse at night and usually lasts up to 3 nights. Moist air or cool night air may help your child feel better. Skip cough medicine for croup.
Whooping cough can look like a cold in babies. Many babies do not cough at all and have breathing pauses instead. See the warning signs at the bottom of this page.
Cough is not usually a sign of strep throat. A cough with a sore throat points more toward a virus.
Adults
A cough that lasts for weeks in an adult is often tied to asthma, acid reflux, smoking, vaping or a medicine. These need a plan, not just cough syrup. Adults 65 and older, and anyone with heart or lung disease, should get a new cough with fever checked sooner.
How to prevent coughs and protect others
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Stay current on vaccines, including the yearly flu shot, COVID-19, whooping cough and pneumonia vaccines when recommended for you.
Wash or sanitize your hands often, and clean surfaces that many people touch.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow.
Bring in fresh outdoor air when you can, or use an air purifier.
Do not smoke or vape, and keep your home smoke-free.
Coughs and colds peak in fall and winter in Westmont, IL, and the CDC says flu activity most often peaks between December and February. For other symptoms, browse our symptom guides.
A cough from a cold or chest cold usually lasts less than 3 weeks, and it can linger a little after other symptoms are gone. A cough that is slowly getting better is a good sign. See a clinician if it lasts more than 3 weeks, gets worse, or comes with a lasting fever or wheezing.
When should I worry about a cough?
Get checked if a cough lasts more than 3 weeks, comes with a fever lasting more than 5 days, causes new wheezing or shortness of breath with activity, or improves and then returns worse. Struggling to breathe, coughing up blood, chest pain or blue lips need emergency care right away.
How do I know if my cough is bronchitis or pneumonia?
Both cause a cough with mucus. Pneumonia is more likely with fever, shaking chills, shortness of breath and chest pain when you breathe or cough. A clinician tells them apart by listening to your lungs and, when needed, a chest X-ray. Bronchitis usually gets better on its own without antibiotics.
Can urgent care do a chest X-ray for a cough?
Yes, at our main clinic. Urgent Care Center of Westmont has on-site X-ray at 29 N Cass Ave, Westmont, IL. Our Jewel-Osco location does not have X-ray. Your clinician decides whether an X-ray is needed after listening to your lungs and reviewing your symptoms.
Do I need antibiotics for a cough?
Usually not. Most coughs are caused by viruses, and the CDC says antibiotics will not help a chest cold. Antibiotics may be appropriate for bacterial infections such as some pneumonias or whooping cough. Your clinician decides based on your exam and test results, not on mucus color alone.
What helps a cough at night?
Honey for anyone 1 year or older, a clean cool-mist humidifier, steam from a warm shower and plenty of fluids can all help. A mentholated rub on the chest can be used for children 2 and older. For a child with a barking cough at night, moist air or cool night air may help.
Is my cough from COVID, flu or a cold?
Symptoms overlap, so a test is the only way to know. Flu and COVID-19 often start suddenly with fever and body aches, while a cold starts slowly with a runny nose. Our Westmont, IL clinics can swab for flu, COVID-19 and RSV, which helps guide treatment and how long to stay home.
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