The main red flag to watch for is new or worsening shortness of breath, says Dr. They may perform a CT scan of your lungs and rule out other causes, such as pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lungs) or organizing pneumonia (injury and inflammation in the lungs).
It’s important to see a doctor any time a cough lasts more than three weeks. “For some patients, a persistent cough can be their only symptom of long COVID, and this can last for months after the initial phase,” says Dr. These symptoms can look and feel like those of many other health conditions, so doctors typically make a diagnosis based on specific symptoms and when you were diagnosed with a previous COVID infection. Long COVID is when symptoms last at least four weeks after an initial infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which can include a cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, brain fog and other neurological symptoms, intermittent fever, and mood changes, among many others. Does a lingering cough always mean you have long COVID? But experts add that the idea that COVID may cause a neurogenic cough in some people is still speculation and not proven by rigorous science. Medications used for neuropathic pain, which occurs when the nervous system is damaged in some way, are sometimes prescribed for a chronic cough, as they interfere with the pulmonary neural pathways, or those associated with the lungs, says Dr. “The virus gets into the cells in the airways and causes inflammation,” Dr. With COVID and other viral infections, the cause is irritation to the airways. Why does COVID cause such a nasty cough in the first place?Ī cough is a protective mechanism to keep mucus or foreign objects out of the lungs. Here’s what you need to know about why COVID-19 can cause a lingering cough and how long it might take to for this frustrating symptom to ease up. “Prolonged cough after illness is not unique to COVID,” Nathaniel Marchetti, DO, the medical director of the respiratory intensive care unit at Temple University Hospital, tells SELF. While a lingering cough can sometimes be a sign of long COVID, in many cases, it is just part of the normal recovery process that occurs after any viral infection. Coughing long after testing positive for COVID-19? You’re not alone: Take one scroll through the #CovidCough hashtag on Twitter, and you’ll see many people complaining of gnarly coughs that won’t go away-sometimes with no other symptoms-for weeks to months after their initial infection.
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