A cough that lasts a long time (chronic) can heal on its own but can also be a sign of a more serious lung disease, such as lung cancer.
- During an infection, coughing is a natural phenomenon that allows the body to expel irritating agents.
- Beyond eight weeks we speak of chronic cough and it is recommended to consult your doctor.
- The latter will give you an appropriate treatment and will be able to check that it is not the sign of a more serious illness.
30 million people see a doctor a year in the United States for a persistent cough, according to a study. Health insurance defines cough as a “natural defense reflex to expel mucus or irritating agents from the respiratory tract”.
The cough is said to be chronic beyond eight weeks
But when does this become worrying? What pathologies can it be a sign of? Kyle B. Enfield, Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia, USA, answers these questions in an article by The Conversation. First of all, there are two types of cough: dry or oily. The first is irritative and without spitting while, for the second, the person spits. On the other hand, we speak of an acute cough if a person has been coughing for less than three weeks. This is the case during an infection.
Between three and eight weeks, generally after an infection, if the cough persists it is called subacute and, beyond that, it becomes chronic. This has, for example, been the case for some people after a Covid-19 infection. Indeed, according to a study published in 20212.5% of patients who were infected with the virus developed a chronic cough after infection. According health insurance, cough medicine may be inadvisable because in trying to suppress the cough the person loses his healing aspect. On the other hand, antitussives are often not very effective for dry coughs and even contraindicated in case of wet cough.
Cough can be a sign of lung cancer
“In adults, however, evidence of efficacy remains variable and limitednotes Kyle B. Enfield. However unsatisfactory it is, however, keep in mind that most coughs will eventually resolve on their own.” Without medication, about half of patients recover from their chronic cough, according to a study published in 2006.
Some patients opt for natural solutions to relieve themselves, such as herbal tea or hot water with honey. And the effectiveness of this sweetness has been proven by a study from 2018 : taken over three days, it would reduce the symptoms of cough, compared to a placebo.
If the cough is chronic, you should consult your doctor who will prescribe an appropriate treatment and can check that it is not a sign of a more serious illness. “However, some cases justify making an appointment with your doctor without delay: rapid weight loss, night sweats, heavy sputum, bloody sputum, etc. explains Kyle B. Enfield. In rare cases, subacute and chronic cough can indeed be a sign of lung cancer or various chronic lung diseases.” A doubt to be removed as quickly as possible with your doctor because lung cancer is the third most common cancer in France, with 46,363 new cases estimated in 2018, according to the National Cancer Institute.
