A cough will usually clear up on its own within 3 to 4 weeks.

How you can treat a cough yourself

There's usually no need to see a GP if you have a cough. You should:

• rest
• drink plenty of fluids
• try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities

You could also try:

• paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat any pain
• hot lemon and honey (not suitable for babies under 1 year old)
• a herbal medicine called pelargonium (suitable for people aged 12 or over)

But there's limited evidence to show these work. Hot lemon with honey has a similar effect to cough medicines.

What happens at your appointment

To find out what's causing your cough, the GP might:

• take a sample of any mucus you might be coughing up
• order an X-ray, allergy test, or a test to see how well your lungs work
• refer you to hospital to see a specialist, but this is rare

What causes coughs

Most coughs are caused by a cold or flu. Other causes include:

• smoking
• heartburn (acid reflux)
• allergies – for example, hay fever
• infections like bronchitis
• mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose

A cough is rarely a sign of something serious like lung cancer.