Long Drawn Out Cough

[fruitsalad]

Me and OH have both had a cough for just over 2 weeks now, is there a virus doing the rounds, and in that case, hopefully it will go at its own steam, or is it worth a visit to the doctor

[mazzywoo]

Hi Fruitsalad. There seems to be a virus about at the moment which lasts a long time. Mine began 2 weeks ago with cold symptoms and voice loss. I've still got the bloomin' thing and have just spent another sleepless night of coughing when I lay down. Thing is, when does a visit to the docs become necessary when it's such a busy time of year for the NHS? The cough isn't 'chesty' it's just annoying. I hope that you will feel better soon too :)

[Buenchico]

From the NHS website:

"There's usually no need to see your GP if you or your child have a mild cough for a week or two. However, you should seek medical advice if:
you've had a cough for more than three weeks
your cough is particularly severe or is getting worse
you cough up blood or experience shortness of breath, breathing difficulties or chest pain
you have any other worrying symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, a persistent change in your voice, or lumps or swellings in your neck"

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cough/Pages/Introduction.aspx