What your cough could really mean, from THAT annoying ‘dry’ tickle to the ‘wet’ tickle that makes your phlegm sputter

Most of us have suffered from a nasty cough at some point.

Whether it’s caused by a cold or an allergy, it’s usually not a sign of anything serious and should go away within a few weeks without treatment.

Coughing is just a natural reflex action to clear our airways of mucus and irritants such as dust or smoke.

But if your cough doesn’t go away, you get out of breath doing simple things and you cough up blood, it could be a sign of lung cancer, doctors say.

Here, MailOnline explains the different types of coughs that can be caused and when it’s time to see your GP.

A dry cough

If you’ve been struggling to shake off a virus, possibly a cold or maybe even Covid, you’re all too familiar with a dry cough.

London-based general practitioner Dr. Hana Patel told MailOnline: ‘This can linger and be annoying and affect people by interrupting their sleep at night.’

But the remnants of a cold aren’t the only cause of a dry cough, which can cause a frustrating scratchy feeling in the back of the throat. Generally, no phlegm or phlegm is produced, unlike that of a wet cough.

They usually disappear on their own within a few weeks.

Dry coughs that last more than three weeks should be investigated to see if there is another cause, experts say.

Dr. Patel explained that dry cough can also be caused by an allergy or asthma.

If you have an allergic reaction, you may experience tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, and wheezing.

In some cases, acid reflux – when stomach acid travels to the throat – can be the cause.

Dry coughs can be just as persistent as coughs, according to Dr Aimee Brame, consultant physician at London Bridge Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare.

Dr. Brame, a respiratory specialist, added: ‘They can be drier and come from the throat more than the chest.’

To get to the bottom of what’s causing your dry cough, Dr. Brame recommends keeping a diary to rule out any allergies.

“It can help to keep a diary of things that make the cough worse,” she said.

‘Some people find that they have a terrible cough at home, which goes away when they are at work.

“It could be something in your garden, but it could also be a pet.”

Dr. Brame also says that removing dust from your home, especially under your bed, can also reduce your dry cough, especially if it’s caused by an allergy.

A wet chew

Most people who get a wet cough describe it as a chest cough.

It is usually caused by overproduction of phlegm or phlegm due to an infection, flu, or cold.

If it’s caused by a cold, Dr. Patel suggests relieving symptoms at night by sleeping with your head elevated.

According to the NHS, drinking plenty of water to loosen mucus and make coughing easier can also help relieve a wet cough. A hot drink with lemon and honey also relieves the sore throat that so often accompanies tickling.

Although hay fever is usually caused by viral infections, it can also cause a wet cough.

When the nose becomes irritated by pollen, mucus production can go into overdrive.

Post-nasal drip – when mucus slowly drips down the back of your throat – can trigger the need to cough.

‘A post-nasal drip can be associated with a dry or wet cough and it is the drip that needs to be treated, not the cough,’ says Dr Brame.

Using a nasal spray and drinking plenty of water can also help relieve this.

However, a chesty cough is not always caused by a cold or infection. In some cases it can be caused by heart disease.

“People may think of respiratory conditions, but there are other things in the chest that can cause coughing,” says Dr. Brame. “You may develop a cough associated with heart problems, especially if you have some fluid in the chest.”

If you also have shortness of breath, swollen ankles and your symptoms worsen with exercise, she recommends seeing your doctor.

A chronic cough

If you have had a persistent cough for three weeks or more, you should see your GP, the NHS says.

A chronic cough can have several causes, such as asthma, allergies, nasal drip and acid reflux.

A persistent cough can also be a result of smoking.

Although rarer, it can be a sign of a more serious condition, such as lung cancer, heart failure or tuberculosis, according to Dr. Patel.

Dr. Patel said: ‘Patients tell me it is usually a dry cough with an irritating or tickling sensation.

‘This is quite common but can affect people in their daily lives, sleeping at night, their appetite and eating.

‘The cough can be caused by talking, laughing, certain strong odors, irritants and temperature changes.’

But it’s important to be aware of the “red flag” symptoms that could be a sign that something more serious is going on.

Dr. Brame said persistent coughing, weight loss, night sweats and also coughing up blood are ‘red flags’ and signs of lung cancer that should be urgently examined by a doctor.

According to the NHS, lung cancer affects more than 43,000 people in Britain every year. It is the deadliest type.

‘It’s very difficult to say what is a worrying cough and what isn’t.

‘If you’re concerned about a cough, that’s usually a good reason to see your GP,’ says Dr Brame.

She emphasizes that if a cough is “concerning or bothering you,” it probably needs to be looked into.

Lung cancer mainly affects the elderly. The NHS reports that more than four in ten people in Britain with lung cancer are aged 75 or over, and this is much rarer in people under 40.

Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, accounting for about 70 percent of cases.

When you smoke, you regularly inhale hundreds of toxic substances.

However, people who have not smoked can also get lung cancer.