If your cough has lasted more than 3 weeks, pay attention!

Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Sami Öztürk explained that persistent coughs can be dangerous. Prof. Dr. Öztürk outlined the steps that can be taken.

"A COUGH LASTING MORE THAN 3 WEEKS SHOULD BE EXAMINED"

Stating how many weeks a cough can last before it becomes risky, Prof. Dr. Öztürk said, "Coughs can generally last up to 3 weeks in normal infections. Coughs that exceed 3 weeks, reach 8 weeks, or even surpass this duration should be considered dangerous and must be examined in detail."

"COUGHS LASTING LONGER THAN 8 WEEKS..."

Pointing out that a persistent cough can be a harbinger of certain diseases, Prof. Dr. Öztürk stated, "Coughs lasting longer than 8 weeks can be a symptom of many significant diseases. These diseases include allergies, sinusitis, reflux, asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, lung cancer, heart failure, and many causes such as certain blood pressure medications that induce coughing. One of the most important causes of chronic cough that often goes unnoticed by the public is the cough that persists after a cold or flu. In this case, after cold symptoms pass in 1 week, a dry cough remains for approximately 3-4 weeks."

"PAY ATTENTION TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEASONAL ALLERGIC COUGH AND COVID COUGH"

Discussing how to distinguish the symptoms of a seasonal allergic cough from a COVID cough, Prof. Dr. Öztürk said, "Seasonal allergic cough symptoms mainly include frequent sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, itching, post-nasal drip, watery and red eyes, and a mild cough. In COVID, however, high fever, intense cough, muscle and joint pain, headache, sore throat, and extreme fatigue are observed, while these findings are not seen in allergic cough. In COVID, these symptoms are always more severe."

DREW ATTENTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Stating that environmental factors increase coughing, Prof. Dr. Öztürk explained, "Recently, as a result of increased chemical pollution in the air in large cities and industrial zones, the use of low-quality fuels for heating due to economic reasons, and unhealthy gases and waste emitted into the air by public transport vehicles, increases are observed in respiratory system diseases, primarily asthma and COPD. These diseases also cause chronic coughing."

DREW ATTENTION TO POLLEN

Stating that certain conditions trigger allergic coughs, Prof. Dr. Öztürk said, "Pollen, house dust mites, fungal spores, and pets can cause allergic coughs in sensitive individuals. By performing allergy tests and staying away from allergens, the development of an allergic cough can be prevented."

"THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COUGHING IS INCREASING"

Emphasizing that the number of people coughing in society has also increased recently, Prof. Dr. Öztürk stated, "Due to the increase in the number of smokers, rising air pollution, the increase in chemicals polluting the air in industrial zones, and the fact that low-quality heating fuels pollute the air we breathe, the number of people coughing has been increasing steadily in recent years."

"STAY AWAY FROM ALLERGENS IN SEASONAL COUGH"

Explaining how a cough can be resolved, Prof. Dr. Öztürk shared the following information:
"First of all, a cough can be easily resolved by treating the underlying factors or diseases causing it. If the cough is due to an infection, it resolves with infection treatment; if it is due to allergens, it resolves by staying away from those allergens. In seasonal allergic cough, avoiding the allergen is the primary form of treatment. Depending on the disease symptoms, antihistamines and certain steroid-based allergy medications are used under doctor supervision throughout the allergen season to reduce nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip. In COVID, since the cough is viral in origin, the disease is treated with antiviral drug therapies."

"OXYGEN AND INHALER THERAPY CAN BE APPLIED"

Explaining when an individual should receive treatments such as oxygen or inhalers, Prof. Dr. Öztürk said, "If the patient has asthma or COPD causing the cough, and the symptoms of the disease—such as cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and a feeling of pressure in the chest—are intense, these patients need to use inhaler medications. If the blood oxygen level drops below a certain value, oxygen therapy can also be applied to these patients. If the patient is experiencing shortness of breath, their doctor will apply the appropriate treatment."

LISTED PRODUCTS THAT CAN REDUCE COUGHING

Pointing out that consuming plenty of fluids and keeping the throat moist can reduce the occurrence of coughing, Prof. Dr. Öztürk said, "Besides plenty of water, hot herbal teas such as ginger, turmeric, linden, and marshmallow root can also soothe a cough. Consuming honey and gargling with warm salt water can also help alleviate coughing."

"MEDICATION MAY NOT BE BENEFICIAL FOR EVERY COUGH"

Underlining that cough medicine should not be used for every cough, Prof. Dr. Öztürk said:
"Using cough suppressants in lung diseases with a productive cough can cause the infection to heal more slowly. For patients who have phlegm but cannot expectorate it, cough syrups that help dissolve and expel the phlegm can be given during the course of the illness."

"COUGH CAN RESOLVE ON ITS OWN"

Noting that a cough is generally temporary and resolves on its own, Prof. Dr. Öztürk concluded his remarks by saying, "In simple infections that occur without being linked to a specific and significant disease, the cough resolves on its own within days. However, coughs that arise due to a chronic disease do not resolve without treatment."