How Long Does COVID Cough Last? An MD Explains Why It Can Linger - Women's Health

Believe it oregon not, we’re present going connected twelvemonth 3 of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of america cognize much radical who’ve had it than not, and chances are you’ve had it yourself astatine slightest once. What whitethorn inactive instrumentality you by surprise, though, are the broadside effects that tin linger for weeks aft you've recovered. "How agelong does COVID cough last?" successful peculiar is simply a question galore are asking IRL and connected societal media.

While a cough tin beryllium a motion of galore illnesses (your run-of-the-mill cold, for one), it’s besides a communal grounds that radical acquisition aft coming down with COVID-19, according to Luci Leykum, MD, the manager of superior attraction services astatine Harbor Health and a prof of interior medicine astatine Dell Medical School astatine the University of Texas successful Austin.

“Up to 5 percent of radical person a lingering cough aft COVID, usually lasting up to 4 weeks, though less than fractional of those radical person a cough that lasts beyond 4 weeks,” she says. “If it lasts longer than that, it could beryllium related to long COVID, peculiarly if it is associated with different symptoms of agelong COVID specified arsenic encephalon fog, fatigue, oregon shortness of breath.” And ICYMI, agelong COVID is erstwhile symptoms linger adjacent aft you’re nary longer testing affirmative for the microorganism oregon contagious.

While you whitethorn person fto your defender down a bit, you apt inactive privation to bash your champion to support yourself and enactment prudently if you bash get sick. Read connected for what you request to cognize astir a post-COVID cough, however to woody with it, and erstwhile to spot a doctor.

Meet the expert: Luci Leykum, MD, is the manager of superior attraction services astatine Harbor Health and a prof of interior medicine astatine Dell Medical School astatine the University of Texas successful Austin.

Why does COVID origin a cough successful the archetypal place?

Coughing is simply a reflex that serves to expel overseas substances from the airway, according to Dr. Leykum. And portion it tin beryllium annoying, a lingering cough post-COVID is often a motion of healing due to the fact that that's your lungs' mode of clearing retired dormant cells, per the American Lung Association.

In galore ways, coughs related to COVID are akin to the coughs caused by different viruses, allergies, oregon different infections that origin inflammation successful the airways. Most coughs caused by inflammation related to corruption are adust coughs that resoluteness successful 4 weeks. Other causes, similar allergies, whitethorn past longer depending connected the exposure.

“Inflammation itself tin pb to a cough causing fluid accumulation successful the airways, and due to the fact that it causes inflammation successful the airways, COVID-19 tin origin a cough,” Dr. Leykum explains.

How agelong does a cough past aft COVID?

A cough that shows up aft COVID typically goes distant wrong 4 weeks, says Dr. Leykum. And it tin past arsenic agelong arsenic six months aft the infection, according to the American Lung Association.

Some hazard factors that whitethorn marque immoderate radical much delicate to coughing see smoking, vaping, pollution, allergies, oregon asthma.“It tin instrumentality clip for each of the inflammation related to COVID to spell away, and each idiosyncratic is antithetic with respect to however agelong this tin take,” Dr. Leykum notes.

Is a lingering COVID cough contagious?

The bully quality is simply a lingering cough does not needfully mean idiosyncratic is inactive contagious. “For radical with mild to mean COVID-19, the CDC recommends wearing a disguise for 10 days aft grounds onset, and for radical who person terrible illness, the proposal is to isolate for 20 days and solution of fever for astatine slightest 24 hours,” Dr. Leykum says. “After that period, radical are improbable to beryllium infectious, [but] if determination is simply a concern, wearing a disguise would beryllium reasonable.”

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How bash you get escaped of a COVID cough?

The lingering coughs related to COVID are usually adust coughs, which means you won’t consciousness the impulse to cough thing up.

“These coughs mostly get amended with time, typically wrong a fewer weeks,” Dr. Leykum says. “You tin soothe your pharynx by drinking lukewarm drinks with honey, taking sips of h2o oregon beverage if you consciousness similar you are going to cough, taking lozenges, and keeping yourself good hydrated.”

When should you spot a doc astir a COVID cough?

Even though it whitethorn look similar we’re past the authorities of alarm the pandemic initially induced, you inactive privation to instrumentality immoderate lawsuit of COVID and its symptoms seriously. If you person a lingering cough that lasts longer than a month, Dr. Leykum recommends seeing your healthcare provider.

Experiencing coughing oregon breathlessness for much than 3 months besides signals that you should cheque successful with your doc ASAP, per the American Lung Association, due to the fact that it could beryllium a motion of post-COVID interstitial lung disease, which is simply a information characterized by scarring successful the lungs. Early detection and attraction tin halt the progression of the disease.

“You should spot idiosyncratic sooner If your cough changes oregon gets worse, if you commencement coughing up much phlegm oregon person occupation breathing, oregon if you make caller fevers oregon different symptoms,” Dr. Leykum says. “People should ever consciousness comfy seeking aesculapian assistance if they are uncertain oregon concerned.”

The bottommost line: A COVID cough should wide up successful 4 weeks. It whitethorn instrumentality astir longer if you person agelong COVID, which is usually accompanied by different symptoms similar encephalon fog and fatigue.