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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Chronic Cough?

Yes, I have a bad cough and it has lingered for about 2 weeks. Been to the dr. got medicine. Had Xray NOT Pneumonia. Upper Respiratory Infection! I want to better understand what the different colors of phlegm mean. First it was clear, then yellow. Now brownish. How long do you think this will last? Thanks for your answer.
Mon, 13 Aug 2018
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.

If it's an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) indeed then the cough may last for many weeks. In most cases the duration is 2-3 weeks but it may extend up to 8 weeks. Regarding the color of your phlegm it doesn't mean much. It's normal for the phlegm to be clear at first and colored afterwards (yellow, green). Colored phlegm is neither an indication of bacterial infection nor a good reason to institute antibiotic treatment. Bacterial infections do present with colored phlegm but viral infections will eventually manifest colored phlegm as well. Therefore the color is not distinctive.If your cough is better than it was a week ago then you should give it some more time. The cough will probably be even better in a week from now. Unless the symptoms remain unchanged or they get worse, you shouldn't worry. Otherwise a new visit to the doctor is advised.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
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What Causes Chronic Cough?

Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. If it s an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) indeed then the cough may last for many weeks. In most cases the duration is 2-3 weeks but it may extend up to 8 weeks. Regarding the color of your phlegm it doesn t mean much. It s normal for the phlegm to be clear at first and colored afterwards (yellow, green). Colored phlegm is neither an indication of bacterial infection nor a good reason to institute antibiotic treatment. Bacterial infections do present with colored phlegm but viral infections will eventually manifest colored phlegm as well. Therefore the color is not distinctive.If your cough is better than it was a week ago then you should give it some more time. The cough will probably be even better in a week from now. Unless the symptoms remain unchanged or they get worse, you shouldn t worry. Otherwise a new visit to the doctor is advised. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.