A cough is a reflex action to clear your airways of mucus and irritants, for example, residues of smoke.

There are two kinds of cough:

1 Chesty cough: it produces mucus which helps to clear your airways.
2 A "dry cough" means it's tickly and doesn't create any mucus (thick mucus).

Most coughs clear up within one or three weeks and don't require any treatment. For more persistent coughs, it's good to consult with the doctor so they can investigate the cause.

Some of the main reasons for short-term and persistent coughs are followed below:

Short-term or acute coughs:

Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI): It influences the throat, windpipe or sinuses – examples are a cold, influenza, laryngitis, sinusitis or whooping cough

Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI): It influences your lungs or lower airways routes – for example, intense bronchitis or pneumonia an allergy, for example, allergic rhinitis or hay fever a flare-up of a long-term condition, for example, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis inhaled dust or smoke.

In rare cases, a short-term cough may be the main indication of a health condition that causes a determined cough.

Persistent or chronic coughs: A long-term respiratory tract disease, for example, chronic bronchitis.
Asthma – this also causes different symptoms, for example, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.

Allergy: 

Smoking – A smoker's cough can likewise be a side effect of COPD.
Bronchiectasis – where the airways of the lungs become abnormally enlarged
Postnasal drip – Mucus trickling down the throat from the back of the nose, caused by a condition, for example, rhinitis or sinusitis
Gastro-oesophageal reflux ailment (GORD) – Where the throat becomes irritated by spilling stomach acid.

In most cases, a doctor won't worry whether a cough is dry or chesty, yet should know whether you are delivering producing much more or darker phlegm than usual.

Rarely, a persistent cough can be a symptom of a progressively genuine condition, for example, lung cancer, heart failure, a pulmonary embolism (blood clot on the lung) or tuberculosis.

Coughs in children - Coughs in children frequently have similar causes to those mentioned previously. For example, respiratory tract contaminations, asthma, and GORD would all be able to influence children.

Reasons for coughs that are more typical in children than adults include:

Bronchiolitis – mild respiratory tract contamination that normally causes cold-like symptoms

Croup – this causes a distinctive barking cough and a harsh sound known as stridor when the kid breathes in

Whooping cough – lookout for symptoms such as intense, hacking bouts of coughing, vomiting, and a "whoop" sound with each sharp intake of breath after coughing

Incidentally, a tireless cough in a child can be an indication of a serious long-term condition, for example, cystic fibrosis.

Treatment for Cough will rely upon the cause or symptoms you're experiencing, so your medical consultant will determine treatment options based on the cause.