Anytime you hear someone coughing beside you, it’s only natural to want to walk away or turn your back. The last thing you have time for is sickness, and upon hearing a cough, you might think that person is going to automatically get you sick.

However, is a cough really contagious? Let’s take a deeper look at coughs to find out.

What Is a Cough?

A cough occurs when something is irritating your throat, such as nasal drainage, dust or even a foreign object. Coughing can help to protect us from having something in our throat that shouldn’t be there.

However, there isn’t just one type of cough. In fact, there are many.

Types of Cough

• Acute
• Barking
• Chronic
• Dry
• Stress
• Wet
• Whooping

Are Coughs Contagious?

Although the act of coughing itself is not contagious, what your body coughs up can be. As a result, it’s important that if you do have a cough, you cover your mouth so that you aren’t passing along any germs.

In addition, if you hear someone coughing, be sure to try and stay away just in case what they are suffering from (like the common cold or flu) is not passed on to you.

Treating a Cough

• Take antibiotics if prescribed.
• Avoid allergens.
• Use a Neti pot to clear nasal passages.
• Try honey to soothe an irritated throat.
• Use a humidifier.

Did you recently start experiencing a cough along with other symptoms like runny nose and sore throat? It’s time to make a trip to AFC Urgent Care Cleveland for a diagnosis and treatment plan.