Coughing is a reflex that keeps your throat and airways clear. Although it can be annoying, coughing helps your body heal or protect itself. Coughs can be either acute or chronic. Acute coughs begin suddenly and usually last no more than 2 to 3 weeks. Acute coughs are the kind you most often get with a cold or flu. Chronic coughs last longer than 2 to 3 weeks. Causes of chronic cough include
- Asthma
- Allergies
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
- Smoking
- Throat disorders, such as croup in young children
- Some medicines
Water can help ease your cough - whether you drink it or add it to the air with a steamy shower or vaporizer. If you have a cold or the flu, antihistamines may work better than non-prescription cough medicines. Children under four should not have cough medicine. For children over four, use caution and read labels carefully.
- Chronic Cough: Causes and Cures(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/237.printerview.html
- Cough(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/516.printerview.html
- Your Child's Cough(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/eyes/childs_cough.html
- Managing Cough as a Defense Mechanism and as a Symptom(American College of Chest Physicians) - http://www.chestnet.org/patients/guides/cough/index.php
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Using Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Products in Children(10/22/2008, Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/coughcold102208.html
- Acid Reflux Linked to Chronic Croup(09/22/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69529.html
- Cough(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/516.printerview.html
- Cough(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/cough/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
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Cough Medicine: Understanding Your OTC Options(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/858.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/858.printerview.html
- Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) Information Page(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) - http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/default.htm
- Cover Your Cough(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm
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Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/cough_cold_medicine_abuse.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/padres/cough_cold_medicine_abuse_esp.html
- Cough Headaches(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/primary-cough-headaches/DS00639/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Unapproved Timed-Release Guaifenesin Products(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/cough053107.html
- Article: Images in clinical medicine. Coughing and aerosols. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18843121&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Cough augmentation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18716484&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Cough and cold medication use by US children, 1999-2006: results... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18676518&tool=MedlinePlus
- Cough -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=cough[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt]))&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Lung Association - http://www.lungusa.org/
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
- Allergies, Asthma, and Reflux Top Culprits in Chronic Cough(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/research/cough_culprits.html
- OTC Cough and Cold Products: Not For Infants and Children Under 2 Years of Age(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/coughcold011708.html
- Patient Information for Parents of a Child with Cough(American College of Chest Physicians) - Links to PDF - http://www.chestnet.org/downloads/patients/guides/cough/pediatric.pdf
- Breathing Problems - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breathingproblems.html
- Lung Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungdiseases.html
- Whooping Cough - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/whoopingcough.html
- Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
- Lungs and Breathing - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungsandbreathing.html
- Symptoms - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/symptoms.html