Common Cold and Cough

A cough is only a symptom, not a disease, and often the importance of your cough can be determined only when other symptoms are evaluated. An infection of the lungs or upper airway passages can cause a cough. Coughing is often triggered by mucus that drains down the back of the throat.

 Productive coughs in a person who smokes or uses other forms of tobacco is often a sign of lung damage or irritation of the throat or esophagus. A dry, hacking cough may develop toward the end of a cold or after exposure to an irritant, such as dust or smoke. After a common cold, a dry cough may last several weeks longer than other symptoms and often gets worse at night. Frequent sneezing is also a common symptom of allergic rhinitis. A chronic dry cough may be a sign of mild asthma. Other symptoms may include wheezing, shortness of breath, or a feeling of tightness in the chest.