A cough for two months, is that normal?

Question

I had chest xrays done, no Pneumonia, no allergies, no high blood pressure. I did smoke for 15 years and stopped about 11 years ago. I started smoking for two months due to stress. I recently stopped. This cough started when I started smoking again now it wont go away.

Answer 1

Why Do We Cough So Much After Quitting Smoking?

When we smoke and for all the years that we smoked each and every puff on a cigarette destroyed the cilia, or tiny little hair-like projections lining our respiratory tract. These cilia are responsible for filtering out all the impurities we breathe on a daily basis. They line our nose and reach all the way down into our lungs. When we quit smoking, the first thing, essentially to start repairing itself, is the respiratory tract......and as soon as we take the last puff, the cilia start to regenerate themselves. In some people these cilia grow back faster than others.

Coughing is a natural byproduct of the reemerging cilia. It makes no difference how long or how much you smoked, the rate of regrowth can and is different in most of us. The faster the cilia grow, the more likely we are to cough lots in the first weeks of a quit. Our bodies are healing and our lungs are clearing themselves of all the toxins and impurities.

But whether your cilia grow back rapidly and we cough lots or slowly and we cough little....any cough lasting more that a few weeks and is persistant and is accompanied by pain and or fever, should be checked by a qualified physcian. The body heals remarkedly fast but smoking often covers a variety of other illnesses and conditions and a lingering cough should not always be associated with quitting smoking. It's a great idea for any of us quitting to have our lungs checked out afterwards. It really does help with peace of mind.

Answer 2

Does not necessarily HAVE to be from smoking...I smoked for 20 years and never had a cough, unless I was ill. I would suggest a follow up visit with your physician as the underlying cause could be more serious than you think. Couldn't hurt to have it checked right??

Answer 3

It could be from the smoking. I'd ask the docotr to recheck your chest x-rays.
i once caughed for 2 months straight. When my docotr looked at my chest x-ray she couldn't find anything. It wasn't until she sent it to a radiologist that pneumonia was found.

Answer 4

NO... Any condition that lasts more than 7-10 days requires medical attention. See a doctor ASAP, it may be a sign of infection.

On second thought....You may also need a prescription for steroids, you may have irritated your lungs and they could be slightly inflamed.

Either way seek medical attention perhaps a pulmonary specialist.

Answer 5

Try asking your doctor about Acid Reflux. It causes me to cough when it gets bad. Nexium and slowing down on cigerettes and drinking can stop it.

Answer 6

My first question to you as a Medical Doctor is, " Do you smoke?"

And if you don't then that is not good. You might to make an appointment with your local doctor.

Answer 7

a cough for 2 months is definately not normal. and its definately caused by smoking...

Answer 8

Give it some time and you could have post nasal drip. Blow your nose more often and see if it will make a difference.