COUGH

Cough is very common. The cough reflex has almost certainly evolved to protect the airway from obstruction or damage by secretions and foreign bodies. It is not all bad therefore. However, cough can often be irritating and troublesome.

What are the signs that suggest you need to see us? These are the signs of a possible chest infection which would necessitate contacting us for advice or coming to surgery:

• Feeling generally quite unwell with a high fever.
• Cough productive of coloured sputum.
• Feeling noticeably quite breathless

Also patients with underlying lung or heart disease or other serious chronic problem should contact us if they are starting to feel unwell with a cough.

Any cough present for six weeks or more should be checked out in a routine surgery consultation.

All other coughs should be treated at home first and your pharmacist can recommend over the counter remedies. However a good and economical standby for adults and older (above five years) children is codeine linctus. There is a paediatric strength for the under twelves.

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