10 Min
Bookmark
Translate your customer’s cough
Understanding different types of cough in the pharmacy
A cough is one of the most common complaints for which people seek medical attention,1 and pharmacies are right on the front line when it comes to providing symptom relief and advice. But be aware that while most coughs are caused by colds or other viral infections and resolve on their own, there are coughs that can indicate an underlying illness.
Learning objectives
Refresh your knowledge on different types of cough and how customers might describe them
Know the different treatment options and ingredients
Learn how to advise depending on cough type and age group
Recognise red flags and signs that may indicate an underlying health condition
What causes a cough?
A cough is a reflex response to an irritation in the airways and is triggered by stimulation of cough receptors, either by irritants or conditions that cause airway distortion, such as asthma.1
The cough reflex can be triggered when the airways are:
Partially blocked, for example by mucus during a cold
Irritated by foreign particles such as smoke or dust.
Coughs can be categorised in 3 ways:1
Acute cough usually improves after 1 week, although it often lasts for up to 3.2
The most common cause of acute cough is a viral upper respiratory tract infection like a cold or flu.1
Sore throat, headache, sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion appear early in the course of the infection. Sufferers start coughing on day 2 or 3; from day 4, cough becomes the most bothersome and by far the longest lasting symptom until day 14.3
Young children commonly have up to 8 viral infections a year, especially in the winter months, which makes them particularly prone to coughing.2
Other causes of acute cough include more serious illnesses such as Covid-19, and conditions that affect the lower respiratory tract such as acute bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma attacks.1
After an infection, the airways can remain swollen and irritable for a while. People can have an ongoing cough when the airways are in this hypersensitive state.2 The sudden change in temperature when going outside into cold air can start a cough, for example.
Lingering coughs after upper respiratory infections are called post-infectious or post-viral coughs and may affect between 11-25% of adults.4
Other common causes of sub-acute cough include postnasal drip, for example caused by an allergy such as hay fever.4
Around 10% of the population suffer from chronic cough. Two-thirds of these are female, and the largest group of sufferers are in their 50s and 60s.1
A range of diseases are associated with chronic cough; however, the most common cause is from exposure to cigarette smoke, either actively or passively.1 Other common causes are asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).2
Some medicines cause cough as a side effect. ACE inhibitors, used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure, cause chronic cough in approximately 15% of people who take them.1
Product information and information on adverse event reporting is available here.