“I always seem to have a cold. Every few weeks I start sneezing and coughing again. Is this allergy?” Many patients ask this. Repeated cold and cough can be allergy, but it can also be something else that needs different treatment. In this video, Dr. Dipak Viradia, Chest Physician & Intensivist, explains how to tell.

Signs That It’s Likely Allergy

• Sneezing in bouts, especially in the morning
• Itchy nose, eyes or throat
• Clear, watery nasal discharge
• No fever or body ache
• Symptoms triggered by dust, cleaning, pets, a particular season, or a particular place
• Symptoms that last for weeks or come back regularly
• A personal or family history of allergy, asthma or eczema

Signs That It’s More Likely an Infection

• Fever, body ache or tiredness
• Sore throat at the start
• Thick yellow or green discharge later on
• Someone at home or work had a similar illness
• Gets better within 7–10 days

Other Causes of Repeated Cold and Cough

If symptoms keep returning or a cough won’t go away, other causes should be considered:

• Asthma, including cough-variant asthma, where a dry cough, often at night, is the main symptom
• Sinusitis, with facial pain, heaviness and thick nasal discharge
• Post-nasal drip, where mucus from the nose drips down the throat and causes cough
• Acid reflux, which can cause a chronic cough, especially after meals or at night
• Smoking or exposure to smoke and dust, causing chronic bronchitis or COPD
• Tuberculosis, especially if cough lasts more than 2–3 weeks with fever, weight loss or night sweats

When to See a Doctor

• Cold and cough that keep coming back every few weeks
• Cough lasting more than 2–3 weeks
• Wheezing, chest tightness or breathlessness
• Cough disturbing your sleep
• Fever, weight loss, night sweats, or coughing up blood

How the cause is found. Your doctor will take a detailed history and examine you. Depending on your symptoms, tests such as allergy testing, a lung function test (spirometry), blood tests or a chest X-ray help find the exact cause, so you get the right treatment instead of repeated cough syrups and antibiotics.

Dr. Dipak Viradia
Chest Physician & Intensivist | Interventional Pulmonologist & ECMO Specialist
Rudrax Chest Clinic, 301, Solaris Royce, Opp. Old RTO, Athwagate, Ring Road, Surat – 395001
Appointment: +91 75676 19985
Website: www.drdipakviradia.com