Effective home remediesThe illness is over - but the urge to cough is not

You're fit again, but the cough won't go away for a long time? This is nothing to worry about for now. But you should still look closely.

Franca Krull
The cough often lasts the longest in respiratory infections, but symptoms usually go away on their own.
The cough often lasts the longest in respiratory infections, but symptoms usually go away on their own.
Photo: Getty Images

You often feel the urge to cough for weeks after an infection, even though you actually feel healthy again. Around 11 to 25 percent of those affected still suffer from a so-called post-infectious cough several weeks after a respiratory infection, as researchers led by Samantha Green from the University of Toronto summarize the study situation in the “Canadian Medical Association Journal”. This cough usually goes away after eight weeks at the latest without medication.

These results agreed with the approach of German doctors, according to Peter Kardos from the Maingau Lung Center and co-author of the “Cough Guideline” from the German Society for Pneumology.

During and shortly after an infection, the cough stimulus takes on various important functions for the healing process because it transports the bronchial mucus from the lungs. If the cough lasts for several weeks after the infection has subsided, usually between three and eight, it is called post-infectious.

Studies show that the symptoms in patients without previous illnesses usually subside on their own after a while - so medication is not necessary. If the urge to cough occurs, experts such as ENT doctor Bernhard Junge-Hülsing, vice president of the Bavarian State Medical Association, recommend simple, well-known home remedies instead.

A sip of water or tea can calm the annoying cough. Inhalation moistens the respiratory tract, and various herbal remedies such as sage and ivy could further accelerate healing.

For the right treatment, however, it is important to know whether the cough is a harmless consequence of the infection - or a form of asthma, COPD or a symptom of another disease. Smokers and people with weakened immune systems also need to be looked at more closely because, according to Peter Kardos, they are often affected more severely and for longer.

The Canadian research group concludes that good educational work by the treating doctors is particularly important when dealing with coughs: “It is important to reassure those affected that the post-infectious cough is temporary and usually resolves itself. This can help avoid unnecessary prescriptions, including antibiotics.” If the cough does not go away after eight weeks, it should be examined more closely