A chesty cough ('productive' or 'wet' cough) is one that produces mucus and may cause feelings of congestion in the chest. Unexplained coughing that lasts for more than 3 weeks may indicate that you have an underlying medical condition. You should always see your doctor if this is the case.
A wet cough that lasts more than three weeks requires medical attention because it could indicate pneumonia or bronchitis. A dry cough doesn't produce any mucus. Some of the most common chronic coughs, defined as lasting more than four weeks, fall into this category.
In some cases, a wet cough may indicate a serious underlying health condition, such as a lung or heart condition. If a person is in any doubt as to the cause of their wet cough, they should make an appointment to see their doctor.
So you've been coughing for a while, and instead of getting better, it seems like your cough is getting worse. Maybe you've even started coughing up phlegm or have pain in your chest when you cough. Those are signs your cough might actually be pneumonia.
Pneumonia has a higher fever (101 to 105 degrees F, or 38 to 40 degrees C) and a cough that produces phlegm (wet or productive cough). If you have pneumonia, you may require several days of bed rest or even hospitalization.
drink plenty of fluids, which can help thin the mucus and make it easier to cough up; take a hot, steamy shower to help break down the mucus (phlegm) and make it easier to cough up; and. get plenty of rest.
A bronchitis cough sounds like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. As your condition progresses, you will first have a dry cough that can then progress towards coughing up white mucus.
Dozens of conditions can cause a recurrent, lingering cough, but the lion's share are caused by just five: postnasal drip, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic bronchitis, and treatment with ACE inhibitors, used for high blood pressure and heart failure.
If you have a wet cough, also known as a productive cough, you may cough up mucus or notice a salty taste in your mouth. A wet cough typically occurs if you have the flu, a cold, bronchitis, pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dry coughs don't produce any mucus and can be hard to control.
Your doctor will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope. If you have pneumonia, your lungs may make crackling, bubbling, and rumbling sounds when you inhale.
Call your doctor if your cough (or your child's cough) doesn't go away after a few weeks or if it also involves any one of these: Coughing up thick, greenish-yellow phlegm. Wheezing. Experiencing a fever.
The most common symptoms of bronchitis are: Runny, stuffy nose. Low-grade fever. Chest congestion.
Treatment. Acute bronchitis usually gets better on its own—without antibiotics. Antibiotics won't help you get better if you have acute bronchitis. When antibiotics aren't needed, they won't help you, and their side effects could still cause harm.
More specifically, acute wet coughs, which come about suddenly and last less than three weeks, may be brought on by a viral illness, such as the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19, or the common cold, said Dr. Nesheiwat.
Most people DO NOT need antibiotics for acute bronchitis caused by a virus. The infection will almost always go away on its own within 1 week. Doing these things may help you feel better: Drink plenty of fluids.
Shortness of breath or fast, shallow breathing. Bluish tint to lips and/or fingertips. High fever, sweating, shaking chills. Sharp or stabbing chest pain that gets worse when you inhale deeply or cough.
Common Pneumonia Symptoms
High fever, up to 105 F. Coughing up greenish, yellow, or bloody mucus. Chills that make you shake. Feeling like you can't catch your breath, especially when you move around a lot.
These four stages of pneumonia are congestion, red hepatization, gray hepatization, and resolution, respectively.
A productive ('wet' or chesty) cough is when you have a cough that produces mucus or phlegm (sputum). You may feel congested and have a 'rattly' or 'tight' chest. Symptoms are often worse when waking up from sleep and when talking. The wet cough may be the last symptom left after a common cold infection.
While the cough itself isn't contagious, the germs the cough spreads can be. Whether visible or not, each time someone coughs, particles are spread into the air. Therefore, although you won't immediately catch a cough from a person coughing, you can certainly catch an illness from the germs spreading through the air.