Common causes for chesty coughs

We all cough. It’s perfectly normal. Coughing is a reflex action that your body uses to help keep your airways clear – that’s your nose, throat, windpipe (or trachea, if you want to be all scientific), and lungs. So coughing helps to protect your airways from things that could irritate them, such as accidentally inhaling bits of food or breathing in cigarette smoke. 

But you know that deep, hacking cough when you feel like you’ll cough up a lung? The kind that comes with a heavy, congested feeling in your chest and sometimes even produces some nasty gunk? That’s a chesty cough – this type of cough is your body’s way of trying to clear out mucus from your airways.

So what causes a chesty cough? Chesty coughs develop when your body produces more mucus than normal. This is why a chesty cough is often called a ‘productive’ cough.

    You should see a pharmacist or medical professional if:

    • Your cough gets worse or is troubling you
    • You have difficulty breathing, cough up blood or experience chest pain
    • You have any other worrying symptoms

    Chesty cough FAQs

    A.

    You should see a doctor if your cough gets worse, or if you experience any troubling symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, or coughing up blood.

    A.

    A chesty cough produces thick mucus known as phlegm. It is your body’s way of trying to clear excess mucus from your lower airways. This type of cough is also known as “productive” or “wet cough”.

    A.

    Try propping your head up with an extra pillow or raising the head of your bed to help prevent mucus pooling in the back of your throat which can trigger coughing.