Cough: which doctor should I see?
A cough is a protective reflex that clears the airways. It most often comes with a cold and passes within a week or two, but sometimes it lasts long or keeps coming back. Here you will learn what may be behind it, when it is urgent and which specialist to see.
Book a specialistWhen it is urgent
- You have difficulty breathing, feel you are choking or your lips turn blue.
- You cough up more than a few streaks of blood, or blood with difficulty breathing, a very fast pulse or pain in the chest or upper back.
- You suddenly become confused — for example, you do not know where you are.
- A young child breathes fast or with pauses, grunts, the skin under or between the ribs pulls in, or is floppy and hard to wake.
With these signs, seek emergency help — call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Call 112What it may mean
- A viral infection — a cough with a runny nose and sore throat that can last several weeks.
- Bronchitis — a cough with phlegm, sometimes with a fever.
- Asthma or allergy — a dry cough and wheezing, often at night or on exertion.
- Stomach contents coming back up (reflux) — a cough after meals or when lying down.
- Smoking — a chronic cough, worst in the morning.
- Some medicines — a dry cough as a side effect; tell the doctor what you take.
Which specialist
How to prepare for the visit
Note how long you have been coughing, whether there is phlegm, a fever or shortness of breath and when the cough is worst. Bring chest X-rays and earlier test results, and a list of the medicines you take.
Frequently asked questions
When is a cough a reason for a visit?
When it lasts more than three weeks, keeps coming back or comes with a fever. Book a visit without delay if you have chest pain or shortness of breath, feel very unwell, the cough gets worse quickly or there are streaks of blood in your phlegm.
Do I need a chest X-ray?
Not always. The doctor decides after the examination whether one is needed.
GP, paediatrician or pulmonologist?
The first doctor is usually your GP, and for a child the paediatrician. With a long-lasting cough, shortness of breath or wheezing, a pulmonologist.
This information does not replace a visit to a doctor.