Coughing is a natural response for the body to clear the throat and airways. Coughing that is considered productive brings up mucus or sputum, also known as phlegm. Coughing that does not produce any phlegm is considered dry or nonproductive. Coughs that begin suddenly and last less than three weeks are considered acute. Coughs lasting between three and eight weeks are subacute, and coughs that last more than eight weeks are chronic, according to MedlinePlus.
Respiratory Tract Infection
The common cold presents with symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough and a runny nose. Over 200 viruses may cause a cold, and over 1 billion colds in the United States are experienced every year, according to MedlinePlus. Most cold symptoms resolve within a week or 10 days. A chronic, dry cough due to inflamed airways from a cold may linger after other symptoms are gone.
Whooping Cough
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis. It is identified as whooping cough because of the characteristic whooping sound that is made at the end of a severe coughing episode. According to KidsHealth, in the United States the pertussis vaccine reduced the number of deaths related to whooping cough from between 5000 and 10,000 every year to less than 30. However, incidents of whooping cough are on the rise. The cough from pertussis is initially mild, but within a couple of weeks it may progress to a coughing spell that lasts more than a minute. Some people with pertussis have a prolonged cough without the classic whoop.
Asthma
A nonproductive cough may be caused by asthma, which is a chronic respiratory disease. Symptoms include chest tightness, wheezing, feeling out of breath and coughing. An asthma attack occurs when the linings of the airways in the lungs swell and restrict the amount of air that can move in and out of the lungs.
Asthma affects about 20 million people in the United States, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Treatment suggestions include avoiding known asthma attack triggers, using medications to reduce inflammation and open breathing pathways, and reducing stress and anxiety.
