Chapter 1: Clinical Overview
The type of cough (dry or chesty) and the presence of other related symptoms will often point to the cause;
A dry cough may be persistent and irritating, sometimes as a clearing of the throat; or a frequent hacking cough with no mucous sounds, which can be quite exhausting for the patient.
e.g. A cold can cause a runny nose with a post-nasal drip which may trigger a dry cough.
A chesty cough can be a deep cough or bark with the ‘rattle’ of mucous and may be accompanied by the feeling of a tight chest or wheezing.
e.g. a lower respiratory tract infection like bronchitis may cause a chesty cough.
Note: the way a dry cough is treated will be different from the treatment for a chesty cough. This means that it is essential to ask the right questions, so that the best treatment can be recommended.
What could it be?
There are many conditions that can cause a cough, such as:
A cold or flu
COVID-19
Bronchitis, pneumonia
Hay fever or allergy
Asthma and other medical conditions like reflux
Some medicines
Irritants like smoke and dust.
It is important to ask the right questions to find out possible causes and if there are other symptoms.