GoodRx Holdings Inc.

09/27/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/27/2024 09:37

Do You Need Antibiotics for Your Cough

Key takeaways:

  • A cough can be a sign of an upper or lower respiratory tract infection, like a cold, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Viruses are the most common cause of all of these illnesses.

  • Even if you're coughing up yellow or green phlegm, you might not need antibiotics. Your mucus color alone can't tell you if a virus or bacteria is causing your cough.

  • If your cough lasts longer than 3 weeks, it's time to see a healthcare professional. You may need an X-ray or antibiotics.

dolgachov/iStock via Getty Images

A nagging cough can keep you from sleeping and getting on with your day as usual. If you're like most people, you're searching for ways to stop that cough. You might wonder if antibiotics can help a cough. But, in most cases, antibiotics aren't helpful for a cough.

A cough can be a sign of an upper or lower respiratory tract infection. But did you know that most coughs aren't caused by bacteria? And antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. So, people often end up taking antibiotics for a cough when they don't really need to. This can cause more harm than good because antibiotics can lead to unwanted side effects and antibiotic resistance.

If you're wondering if you need antibiotics for a cough, here's some information that can help you decide when it's time to get medical attention.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

  • When to seek medical care: How do you know when a cough is serious? Understanding when to seek treatment can help you avoid more serious health issues.

  • How to deal with a nagging cough: Sometimes a cough lingers and won't go away. Explore causes and treatments for persistent cough.

  • How to tell if it's bronchitis: Bronchitis can cause a persistent and painful cough. Learn what it's like to experience this lung condition.

What kind of cough needs antibiotics?

Coughs caused by bacterial upper or lower respiratory tract infections need treatment with antibiotics. Common bacterial respiratory illness include:

But viruses can also cause pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinusitis. Though antibiotics will help if you have a bacterial illness, they won't help you get better faster if you have a viral illness.

It isn't easy to know if your illness is from a virus or bacteria just based on your cough. If you have a bacterial illness, in addition to your cough, you'll likely have other symptoms, like:

  • Fever

  • Body aches

  • Headaches

  • Fatigue

  • Nausea

  • A loss of appetite

How do you know if your cough needs antibiotics?

It's not possible to tell the cause of a cough just from the way it sounds. Most people need additional tests - like chest X-rays and flu or COVID-19 testing - to figure out if they need antibiotics.

See a healthcare professional about your cough if:

  • Your cough and cold symptoms aren't getting better after 10 days. It can take up to 2 weeks for the immune system to completely fight off a virus. But your symptoms should start getting better after the first few days. Get medical attention if, after 10 days, you're feeling just as bad as you did at the beginning of your illness.

  • You start off with very severe symptoms. Most viral illnesses start off slowly and get worse over 2 to 3 days. You may have a bacterial illness if you develop severe symptoms all of a sudden. Severe symptoms include high fever, chills, trouble breathing, chest pain, and severe cough.

  • Your symptoms were getting better but then got worse again. Once your cough and cold symptoms start to get better, they should continue to improve until they disappear completely. If your symptoms start getting better but then get worse again, that's a sign you might have developed a bacterial illness on top of your viral illness.

  • Your cough lasts longer than 3 weeks. A cough that lasts for more than 3 weeks needs to be checked out by a healthcare professional.

If you cough up green or yellow phlegm, does it mean you need an antibiotic?

No, coughing up green or yellow phlegm doesn't mean you need an antibiotic.

Many people think that coughing up green or yellow mucus means their cough has to be from a bacterial illness. But that's not the case. Viruses can also make phlegm look green or yellow.

Your mucus color is only one piece of the puzzle. When trying to figure out whether you need antibiotics for a cough, you have to consider all of the information about your illness.

Should you treat acute bronchitis with antibiotics?

Sometimes acute bronchitis is treated with antibiotics, but not usually.

Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a virus. If you have a viral infection, antibiotics won't help you feel better. And research supports this.

A large study separated 2,000 people with acute bronchitis into two groups. One group received amoxicillin and the other group didn't. Amoxicillin didn't help people feel better. Amoxicillin also didn't make coughs go away faster.

A smaller study found the same results. In this study, people either received amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (Augmentin) or no treatment. Augmentin also didn't make cough go away faster. A more recent study including four different antibiotics found the same thing.

So, who needs antibiotics to treat bronchitis? Experts recommend that people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) take antibiotics if they have bronchitis. If you have COPD and you develop a worsening cough or changes in your mucus color, see a healthcare professional. You may need antibiotics and changes to your daily medication to help you get over bronchitis.

What works to treat acute bronchitis?

Though antibiotics might not help you get over bronchitis faster, there are still things that can help you beat your cough.

If you have bronchitis, you can try these options:

  • Fluids: Staying hydrated can help loosen congestion. Try increasing your water or fluid intake throughout the day.

  • Pain relievers: Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, like ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), aspirin, or acetaminophen (Tylenol), may help ease some of the chest discomfort that comes with acute bronchitis.

  • Cough suppressants: There's not a lot of evidence that cough suppressants help everyone. But they're safe and affordable, and you can get them over the counter. Cough suppressants come as liquids, pills, and lozenges. Look for active ingredients like guaifenesin, benzonatate (only available by prescription), and dextromethorphan.

  • A humidifier: A humidifier adds moisture to the air, which makes it easier to breathe. You can also try breathing in steam from a hot shower.

  • Dark honey:Dark honey can soothe your throat and cough. You can add it to tea or hot water.

  • Albuterol:Albuterol is an inhaled medication that opens up airways. It doesn't help with cough symptoms for everyone. But, if you have a history of frequent wheezing or asthma, albuterol can help you feel better.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best medicine to stop coughing?
expand_more

There are many options when it comes to cough medicines, so choosing one might feel overwhelming. It helps to know which ingredients to look for and which ones might interact with your other medications (if any). Avoid giving cough medicines to young children. When in doubt, ask your pharmacist or primary care provider for guidance.

What is the fastest way to get rid of an upper respiratory infection?
expand_more

Most upper respiratory infections are viral. So, there's not a great way to get rid of them fast. Your best bet is a combination of relative rest, hydration, and other home remedies to soothe your symptoms.

What else can cause a nagging cough?
expand_more

We often think of respiratory tract infections when experiencing a cough. But the truth is many other things can contribute to a cough, such as reflux disease and medication side effects. If you have a nagging cough but don't feel sick, it might be worth exploring other causes.

The bottom line

Cough is a common symptom of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, like bronchitis and pneumonia. Viruses cause most respiratory illnesses. Antibiotics won't help get rid of your cough if you have a viral illness. But, if you have a bacterial illness or a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you'll need antibiotics for your cough. See a healthcare professional right away if you have a fever, trouble breathing, or chest pain along with a cough. If your cough lasts longer than 3 weeks or isn't getting better after 10 days, you may need antibiotics for your cough.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:
Shiv Sudhakar, MD
Shiv Sudhakar, MD, is a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America and works as a physician in California. He has co-authored over 10 peer-reviewed research articles, published several short stories, had a script recently optioned, and presented 20 scientific presentations, two of which placed in the top 3 at the American College of Physicians.
Edited by:
Sophie Vergnaud, MD
Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is an experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist who spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London.
Reviewed by:
Mandy Armitage, MD
Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined her interests in clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

References

Becker, L. A., et al. (2015). Beta2-agonists for acute cough or a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Carlin, B. W. (2023). Exacerbations of COPD. Respiratory Care.

View All References (5)
expand_more

Chow, A. W., et al. (2012). IDSA clinical practice guideline for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in children and adults. Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Kinkade, S., et al. (2016). Acute bronchitis. American Family Physician.

Little, P., et al. (2012). Amoxicillin for acute lower-respiratory-tract infection in primary care when pneumonia is not suspected: A 12-country, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet: Infectious Diseases.

Merenstein, D. J., et al. (2024). Antibiotics not associated with shorter duration or reduced severity of acute lower respiratory tract infection. Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Shaughnessy, A. F. (2014). Amoxicillin/clavulanate or ibuprofen no better than placebo for acute bronchitis. American Family Physician.

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

Was this page helpful?

thumb_up_outlinedthumb_down_outlined
print_outlinedemail_outlined

Get the facts on Cough.

Sign up for our newsletter to get expert tips on condition management and prescription savings.
Email address
Subscribe
I would also like to sign up for a free GoodRx account

By signing up, I agree to GoodRx's Terms and Privacy Policy, and to receive marketing messages from GoodRx.