When to seek medical advice

Consult your doctor if your cough lasts longer than a week or is accompanied by:

Difficulty breathing
Difficult or painful swallowing
Thick green or yellow phlegm or sputum
Bloody phlegm or sputum
Wheezing
High or persistent fever

Cough in adults

Find possible causes of cough based on specific factors. Check one or more factors on this page that apply to your symptom.

Cough is

Dry
Producing phlegm or sputum

Problem is

New or recent
Ongoing or recurrent

Worsening or progressing

Triggered or worsened by

Allergens or irritants

Accompanied by

Chest pain or tightness
Chills or sweating
Difficult or painful swallowing
Fatigue
Fever
Headache or facial pain
Hoarse voice
Loss of appetite

Muscle aches
Runny or stuffy nose
Shortness of breath
Sneezing
Sore throat
Watery or itchy eyes
Wheezing

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Mannenbach MS (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 14, 2017.
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American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
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When to seek medical advice

Cough in adults

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