In daily life, cough is a common disease that many people often suffer from, especially in autumn and winter.Many people find their coughs lingering for a long time. What could be the reasons behind this?

Generally speaking, there are multiple causes for persistent coughing, such as asthma, lung infections, tuberculosis, smoking, and viral infections.What should one do if a cough persists?Let's take a closer look!

Reasons why a cough does not improve

A lingering cough could be due to chest infection.

Symptoms: Dry cough, green phlegm, accompanied by fever after a cold.

Cause: Chest infections or acute bronchitis can lead to persistent coughing.Caused by the same viruses that result in common colds. As inflammation spreads to the lungs, it makes them more susceptible to bacterial infections.

Treatment: Drink plenty of water and take paracetamol to alleviate fever symptoms.

A lingering cough could be due to smoking.

Symptoms: People who smoke frequently often experience frequent coughing.If a cough becomes more frequent or if bloodis present,seek medical attention immediately.

Cause: Smoking can irritate the airways, leading to persistent coughs. Long-term effects include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.Therefore, continued smoking will cause irreversible damage to your airways.

Treatment: After 4 weeks of quitting, 94% of coughs will subside or disappear completely.

A lingering cough could be due to medication side effects.

Symptoms: Intermittent dry cough that worsens at night.

Cause: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, used for hypertension, can cause chronic cough in 20% of patients.

Treatment: If your cough starts after starting a new medication, consult your doctor to switch to another drug.

A lingering cough could be due to pertussis.

Symptoms: Involuntary coughing with a characteristic barking sound during inhalation.

Cause: Highly contagious disease; transmission occurs through respiratory droplets. Infants are most susceptible, followed by older children and adults.Treatment: Serious complications and mortality in infants require close monitoring.

For older children and adults, symptoms generally last for about 6 weeks. Drink plenty of water and take ibuprofen to relieve throat pain.A lingering cough could be due to acid reflux.Symptoms: Dry cough after meals or waking up at night, often accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth.

Cause: Acid reflux or stomach acid backflow can irritate the throat and cause coughing. Commonly triggered by overeating.

Treatment: Do not eat 2 hours before bedtime; use pillows to elevate your head while sleeping. Over-the-counter medications like ranitidine can reduce stomach acid production.

A lingering cough could be due to tuberculosis.Symptoms: Persistent cough, often accompanied by extreme fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, and hemoptysis.

Cause: Highly contagious disease; once thought to have been eradicated. Current incidence is the highest in 40 years.Treatment: If your symptoms match these descriptions, inform your doctor for further examination. Treatment typically involves a 6-month course of strong antibiotics with a 90% success rate.

A lingering cough could be due to viral infection.

Symptoms: Common cold.

Cause: Viral infections can cause persistent coughing as the virus infects nasal and throat mucosa, leading to inflammation.Treatment: Antibiotics are not effective since 90% of cases are viral. Over-the-counter remedies like cough syrups or a warm drink may help clear respiratory secretions.

If you also have sinusitis, your doctor might prescribe nasal sprays.A lingering cough could be due to asthma.

Symptoms: Chronic coughing, especially at night, with occasional wheezing and shortness of breath.

Cause: Persistent nighttime cough is often the first sign of asthma, particularly in children. It also indicates worsening or poorly controlled asthma.

Treatment: Seek medical attention and follow your doctor's instructions.A lingering cough could be due to heart disease.

Symptoms: Persistent cough with wheezing, along with fatigue, shortness of breath, fluid retention.Cause: Heart failure leads to fluid accumulation in the lungs, causing persistent cough.Treatment: Seek medical attention and follow your doctor's instructions.

A lingering cough could be due to lung cancer.

Symptoms: Persistent cough lasting over 3 weeks, with hemoptysis, unexplained shortness of breath, weight loss, fatigue, or chest pain.

Cause: China is now the world's leading country for lung cancer; smoking is the primary risk factor.Treatment: If confirmed, a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy will be used.

What to do if a cough does not improve

No phlegm or little phlegm

1. Nighttime cough

Severe coughing occurs about 1-2 hours after falling asleep, accompanied by chest tightness, bloating, dry mouth and tongue, hoarseness, heartburn; this may be due to acid reflux.

If you suddenly start coughing during sleep as if choking, with shallow sleep and frequent nightmares, it could be upper airway obstruction syndrome related to sleep apnea. Consult a specialist for diagnosis.

2. Daytime cough

Dry cough during the day is commonly associated with acute or chronic pharyngitis.

Symptoms include an urge to cough when speaking but no coughing at other times, such as while sleeping.

Seek medical attention and use cough suppressants like ambroxol or compound licorice tablets for relief.

3. Coughing at irregular intervals

For children or the elderly, first check if they have inhaled foreign objects.

If not, it could be due to familial hyper-reactive airway sensitivity where everyone is sensitive; cold winds or odors can trigger coughs, and symptoms often linger after a cold.

4. Coughing without specific timingThis may be psychogenic cough where the patient coughs under certain conditions or seeing specific people (like leaders or parents), due to psychological factors.

In such cases, treating the cough alone is unlikely to be effective; seek counseling from a psychologist for specific situations.

With phlegm1. Persistent coughing at nightThis can occur in three scenarios: Cough starts within 30 minutes of lying down and improves when sitting up.

This is often due to nasal secretions flowing back and stimulating the throat, possibly from upper respiratory infections such as allergic or non-allergic rhinitis, and acute or chronic sinusitis.

Seek medical attention promptly. Drinking decoctions made with rock sugar, pears, and white radish can help alleviate symptoms.2. Coughing in the early hours of the morning 

If this happens long-term, it may indicate asthma; seek medical attention and identify allergens; if short-term, it could be bronchitis.

3. Mid-sleep sudden chest tightness, difficulty breathing, with cough and phlegmThis scenario might indicate severe conditions requiring urgent care.

What to eat when a cough does not improve

Four common misconceptions about coughing

Proper medications for different types of coughFor smokers: Cough due to phlegm heat and lung congestion.Long-term smoking leads to inflammation in the respiratory tract, producing excessive mucus.Treatment with Er Mu Ning Sou Wan is effective. This medicine contains Fritillaria and Anemarrhena, which clear lung heat, resolve phlegm, and stop coughing.Case 3: Lung Yin Deficiency CoughWu Miss frequently eats heavily spiced food for weight loss purposes but gains no weight loss. She starts coughing frequently with no organic problems found in medical examinations.What to eat when a cough does not improveFour common misconceptions about cough remediesIf the symptoms persist, it may be bronchitis.Three, sudden chest tightness, difficulty breathing, persistent cough, and sputum with blood streaks, which are likely caused by heart disease. It is best to seek medical attention from a cardiology department as soon as possible. 

Coughing irregularly throughout the day.

This condition is usually caused by smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, emphysema, etc.).If accompanied by coughing with blood, shortness of breath, and weight loss, it may be related to lung cancer or tuberculosis. It is necessary to seek medical attention from a respiratory department as soon as possible. 

Coughing without a specific time.

At the same time, symptoms such as stuffy nose and fatigue are usually caused by allergens in the environment (such as dust in air conditioning filters, formaldehyde in indoor building materials) or taking certain medications (such as blood pressure medication).With the help of a doctor, identify and avoid allergens, and the cough will be reduced or eliminated.

What medicine to take for a persistent cough?

Appropriate traditional Chinese medicine: Orange Red Pill

A persistent cough is closely related to a weak spleen and stomach function.When the spleen and stomach cannot smoothly convert food into fine particles of water and grain, it turns into phlegm and dampness.A large amount of phlegm accumulating in the lungs causes coughing.

Patients with phlegm-dampness-type coughing have a heavy, noisy cough, with a lot of white or grayish-white phlegm.In the morning or after eating a large amount of greasy and rich food, the phlegm will become more, and the cough symptoms will worsen.The key to treatment is to strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness.Patients should take Orange Red Pill under the guidance of a doctor, which can strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness.

Appropriate traditional Chinese medicine:LilySolidifying Gold Pill

Adding appropriate spices to food can have the effect of dispelling dampness and killing bacteria.However, if it is excessive, it will consume the body's essence, leading to Yin deficiency and dry cough.

Patients with lung Yin deficiency-type cough often have a short, dry cough with a small amount of white, sticky phlegm.In addition to respiratory symptoms, there are also symptoms such as dry mouth and poor sleep quality.Lily Solidifying Gold Pill, with its nourishing Yin and moisturizing Lung properties, is a good medicine for treating this type of cough.

Appropriate traditional Chinese medicine: Two Mother's Cough Pill

Coughing caused by long-term smoking is usually caused by phlegm heat and stagnation of the Lung.Due to prolonged "smoke and fire", the respiratory mucosa has been "damaged", leading to inflammation and the secretion of a large amount of phlegm.Phlegm constantly stimulates the respiratory tract, leading to coughing.  

Patients with phlegm heat and stagnation of the Lung have a short, dry cough with a lot of thick phlegm that is difficult to cough up.Two Mother's Cough Pill is an effective traditional Chinese medicine for treating this type of cough.The main ingredients of this medicine are Baizhu and Zhizhu, which have the functions of clearing Lung heat, resolving phlegm, and stopping cough.Case 3: Lung Yin deficiency-type cough  Ms. Wu likes to eat dishes with a lot of spices and rich flavors.In her opinion, these dishes also have the effect of losing weight.However, her weight did not decrease, but she began to cough frequently. After going to the hospital for examination, there was no organic lesion.  

What is a good medicine for a persistent cough?

Four common misconceptions about cough