Next Steps

Follow-up

The best plan for follow-up care for a cough of any nature is to discuss when and where follow-up should occur with your 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 get better even when treatments are followed closely; thus, follow-up should be arranged based on this time schedule. For coughs that do not get better with standard treatments, referral to a specialist may be needed to decide the cause and best treatment.