Why Do Some Coughs Remain After a Viral Illness
Coughing is aggravating. It may be the symptom that takes the longest to disappear following an illness... In fact, it can linger for so long that you worry, "At what point should I go back to the paediatrician ?" A good general rule Although post-viral inflammation is a common cause of a persistent cough, there are numerous other explanations to examine, including back-to-back respiratory infections. The easiest way to tell these different is to have your healthcare professional perform a thorough history and physical check. If cough symptoms persist for more than 10-14 days without a break, or if a cough appears to be worsening/has new related symptoms, consult your paediatrician. Why cough lingers? However, if there is no obvious underlying cause, they will most likely instruct you to monitor and wait for a total of 2-4 weeks because studies suggest that the risk of an underlying significant condition with a cough lasting less than 4 weeks following a viral illne...