1. Cold & Flu Cough Relief Slideshow
2. Cold & Flu Quiz: Test Your Medical IQ
3. Slideshow: Cold and Flu - Treating Your Child's Cold or Fever

Medical Author:

Manuel Hernandez, MD

Medical Editor:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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The best plan for follow-up care for a cough of any nature is to discuss when and where follow-up should occur with a doctor, or the doctor from the emergency department. Acute coughs typically get better on their own and often will not need follow-up. Many chronic coughs will take weeks to months to improve or resolve even when treatments are followed closely. Follow-up should be arranged based on this time schedule. For coughs that do not improve with standard treatments, referral to a specialist may be needed to decide the cause and best treatment.

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