{"id":34309,"date":"2022-04-01T11:15:55","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T07:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=34309"},"modified":"2022-04-01T11:15:55","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T07:15:55","slug":"still-coughing-after-covid-heres-why-it-happens-and-what-to-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/still-coughing-after-covid-heres-why-it-happens-and-what-to-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Still coughing after Covid? Here\u2019s why it happens and what to do about it"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Some people who have had Covid are still coughing weeks, months and even a year after being infected with Covid. So why do coughs linger when you\u2019re no longer infectious?<\/em><\/span><\/h4>\n

\"\"Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Coughing is a socially awkward symptom, particularly since the COVID pandemic hit.<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem is, coughing may persist for weeks or months after the infection has gone. Around 2.5% of people are still coughing a year after being infected with COVID.<\/span><\/p>\n

A recurrent cough can undermine your capacity to work, leave you with medical bills, and prompt a withdrawal from social situations because you don\u2019t want others to fear you\u2019re spreading COVID.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a GP, I have patients ask whether there\u2019s anything that can fix their post-COVID cough. Here\u2019s how I answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

What causes a COVID cough?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not surprising COVID causes a cough, because the virus affects our respiratory tract, from our nasal passages right down to our lungs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coughing is one of the body\u2019s ways of getting rid of unwanted irritants such as viruses, dust and mucus. When something \u201cforeign\u201d is detected in the respiratory tract, a reflex is triggered to cause a cough, which should clear the irritant away.<\/span><\/p>\n

While this is an effective protective mechanism, it\u2019s also the way the COVID virus spreads. This is one reason the virus has so effectively and quickly travelled around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why do coughs drag after the infectious period?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Inflammation is a defensive process our immune system uses to fight off COVID. Inflamed tissues both swell up and produce fluid. This can last a long time, even after the virus has gone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coughing may persist for any of four key reasons, all of which involve inflammation:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. if the upper airways (nasal passages and sinuses) stay inflamed, the fluid produced drips down the back of your throat causing a \u201cpost-nasal drip\u201d. This makes you feel the need to \u201cclear your throat\u201d, swallow and\/or cough<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. if the lungs and lower airways are affected, coughing is the body\u2019s way of trying to clear the fluid and swelling it senses there. Sometimes there isn\u2019t a lot of fluid (so the cough is \u201cdry\u201d), but the swelling of the lung tissue still triggers a cough<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. the neural pathways may be where inflammation is lurking. This means the nervous system is involved, either centrally (the brain) and\/or peripherally (nerves), and the cough isn\u2019t primarily from the respiratory tissues themselves<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. a less common but more serious cause may be the lung tissue being scarred from the inflammation, a condition called \u201cinterstitial lung disease\u201d. This needs to be diagnosed and managed by respiratory specialists.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Interestingly, people may experience a range of post-COVID symptoms, including coughing, regardless of whether they were sick enough to be hospitalised. Some patients tell me they weren\u2019t particularly unwell during their COVID infection, but the post-infective cough is driving them crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/span>People with mild COVID symptoms can have lingering coughs.<\/span>\u00a0Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    When should you get it checked out?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    We need to be wary not to label a cough as a post-COVID cough and miss other serious causes of chronic coughs.<\/span><\/p>\n

    One thing to watch out for is a secondary bacterial infection, on top of COVID. Signs you may have a secondary infection include:<\/span><\/p>\n