Almost everyone suffers with a cough from time to time. Learning self-care for the condition can help you find relief.

Coughs occur when cells along the air passages get irritated and trigger air in the lungs to be forced out under high pressure. They can be voluntary or involuntary and have many causes.

Causes
Infectious causes of acute cough include colds, sinus infections, pneumonia, and whooping cough. Noninfectious causes of cough include flare-ups of chronic conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, and allergies.

Cigarette smoke is the most common cause of chronic cough, but other cough-producing irritants include dust, pollens, pet dander, pollution, and low humidity.

Acute coughs typically get better on their own, but chronic coughs can take weeks or months to clear up.

Smokers who have a chronic cough should stop smoking and see their physicians.

See your doctor if you don’t know what’s causing your cough, if it’s getting worse instead of better, or if it lasts for more than three weeks.

Self-Care
These steps can reduce cough symptoms:

• Sleep with your head elevated.
• Drink plenty of clear fluids, such as juice, soup, hot tea with honey, or water.
• Use over-the-counter cough suppressants only if your cough interferes with sleep or other activities.
• Avoid alcohol and smoke from tobacco and fireplaces.

Prevention
Common colds, which cause many coughs, can be prevented by frequent hand washing, getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy meals, and exercising regularly.

For more information, visit the American Academy of Family Physicians at www.familydoctor.org and search for “cough.”

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