Dry Cough

Overview

A dry cough (also called a non-productive cough) brings up no phlegm. It is often tickly or irritating and tends to come in bouts. Dry coughs are very common with viral infections, allergies, acid reflux and as a side-effect of certain blood-pressure medicines, and they are also the typical pattern of cough-variant asthma. This page covers the dry-cough pattern; for cough that brings up phlegm see Cough with Phlegm, and for the central overview see Cough.

Common causes

• Viral upper respiratory infections and post-viral cough.
• Allergic airway irritation and cough-variant asthma.
• Acid reflux (gastro-oesophageal reflux).
• Post-nasal drip from nasal allergies.
• ACE inhibitor blood-pressure medicines.
• Smoke, dust and pollution exposure.
• COVID-19 and other respiratory viral illness.

Evaluation

Evaluation reviews the triggers, timing (day vs night), reflux and nasal symptoms, and medicines. A chest examination and, where indicated, spirometry or a chest X-ray help distinguish asthma, reflux and other causes. A trial of changing a suspected medicine or treating reflux may itself clarify the diagnosis.

Management

Management treats the cause: supportive care for viral and post-viral dry cough, inhalers for cough-variant asthma, anti-reflux treatment and lifestyle measures for reflux, nasal sprays for post-nasal drip, and switching an ACE inhibitor where relevant. Simple soothing measures — warm fluids, honey (in adults), steam — help symptomatically.

Warning signs — seek urgent care

• A dry cough that becomes productive of blood.
• Breathlessness, chest pain or wheezing.
• Persistent fever or weight loss.
• A dry cough lasting beyond several weeks without a clear cause.

How we help

Dr. Nayak identifies the cause of a dry cough, treats specifically, and avoids unnecessary antibiotics. Consultations are available in-clinic in Bhubaneswar and over teleconsultation.

Related conditions and patient concerns

• Cough
• Cough with Phlegm
• Post-Viral Cough
• Allergic Respiratory Symptoms
• Asthma
• Digestive Problems