Sammy -
A "cough" could be anything from a 3-day respiratory virus to a 6-week session of pneumonia, anthrax, or even the beginnings of terminla lung cancer.

Can you mbe a little more specific on what it is you want to know, and what the symptroms are

The cough started about a week ago, but really only was noticeable about on Friday night. It is the beginning of a cold, and it makes me mad. I just hate to get sick. I have no fever and lots of energy, but just have this phase of a cold. I wanted to know what seems to be going around, how long it lasts, and if it turns into nasal congestion or just a cough that runs its course. My students have been sick, but I don't ask them questions. I am really bored since the weather here is awful, I cannot get out, and need to take Robitussin DM. I am very good at calling the doctor if I need to, but just wondered what other people were getting.
Sammy

In the past I've had a cough end up being bronchitis. MAN that is a wrenching cough! Knock wood I haven't had it in awhile, and I can't remember if I received antibiotics or not. I do know that the doc said to do my best to cough up whatever I could (some nasty looking globs I tell ya!) because that would speed healing. It usually lasted about 10 days.

Something else to consider is acid reflux. The acid in your stomach comes up and clogs the esophagus causing you to cough. My husband has been coughing since before Christmas, no fever and no congestion that the doctor can hear. Two doses of anti-biotic did nothing, so doctor put him on medication for acid reflux and it seems to be clearing it up.
There will be more information, probably more correct, on the internet, worth looking into.
Good luck,
Judy

If it's a tickle in the throat type thing, gargle with warm salt water. It will really do the trick!

And as far as the other teacher's philosophy: My coworker finally went medfree because he started to feel like (a) they were not going to get him well any faster and (b) the meds had left him with a cold-medicine hangover. He figured he might as well try with just lots of fluids, and gargling.

And one final thought:
My dad visited a church one time that had a faith healer in the house. A guy comes up with a bad cold and cough. The faith healer laid hands on him and said, "Be Healed!"

My dad said, sure enough about a week and a half later, the guy's cold went away. LOL

There is an old saying that goes something like this:

"Medicate a cold and it will be gone in 14 days; ignore it and it will be gone in two weeks."

The point is, in most cases the common cold lasts for two weeks no matter what you do. And cold medications simply mask the symptoms -- they do NOT cure a cold.

If you truly have a cold, rest as much as you can and drink a lot of water (not sodas or fruit juices).

I've never taken a cold medication even once in my life, but last weekend I had a bad head cold and my sinuses were very congested which gave me a bad headache. I took two aspirin and I felt like a new person about an hour later -- no symptoms, just complete relief.

Hope you feel better soon...
Jen

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think bronchitis usually is with a fever or at least you feel bad. I feel great except for the cough. My daughter has acid reflux -- good suggestion, but not my case. I got a movie for my kids today and asked them what they had. Usually I don't like to do that since a discussion will erupt and suddenly someone thinks I gave advice that really a kid gave. But my kids were really sweet. Many of them said that the doctors said it starts with a scratchy throat for 2 days and a cough for 2 weeks. Yuuuuck!! This is only day two. We had 10 of our 100 teachers were absent today, so something is going around. The Robitussin DM seems to be working, and until I get some significant drainage, there is no point in taking antihistamine or decongestant. It will be as you pointed out water water water. Too bad that this morning I refused to give up my coffee and diet Pepsis. I hope none of you get it. I really hate to feel bad.
Thanks for your posts.
Sammy

Oh! You didn't say you had a scratchy throat at first.... now I think you have what I'm getting over. I had a scratchy throat for 4 days, then a very sore throat for one day, then a head cold started on the next day.

Have you tried Cold-Eeze? They truly work. You can get them in the same aisle as cough drops. But you need to take them at the first sign of the cold and maybe it's not too late since you still have just a scratchy throat. Lots of people swear by them as they do either eliminate the virus altogether (before it takes hold in your body) or they reduce the severity and duration of symptoms.

Jen

Over on KT they have been talking about something called Zicam I think? Anyway they swear it chases colds away quicker. Was that the name, you guys?

Sammy -
There are several HUNDRED known viruses that cause what we call "a cold" ... and as a teacher, you will probably catch most of them.

Stay well-hydrated, rest, and don't fret.

You are right about all the viruses that cause a cold. In the past I have gone up to 3 years without catching one. That is why this is so aggravating. First year teachers will be sick all year. And we older ones just keep plodding along. It is past 8:00 and I took my cough medicine at noon, so the cough may be going away, but I still cannot talk all day. Now it is getting into the head cold. Thanks for the recommendatin of Cold Eese and Zicam, but I am not going out. I sure do hate cold weather. THanks for putting up with me. I do take Zyrtec D when I must take something. I simply cannot put up with the runny nose in front of an audience.
Sammy

I get bronchitis nearly every time I catch a cold. I have asthma, and have gone to a lung/asthma specialist (before my HMO decided I didn't need to! GRRR) for it in the past.

He always told me to do this and it would tell me if my cold had become bronchitis..... take in a big deep breath. Blow it out QUICKLY and forcefully through your mouth. If you start coughing, you've got bronchitis. He also said to see Dr. if temps are over 102. And, that the stuff that you cough up should not be really dark (could be old blood in the lungs) or have bright blood in it.

For a cold's cough, he always recommended lots of vitamen C, or orange juice..... take in extra fluid to keep lung tissue hydrated, and take the Robitussen as needed to sleep - otherwise, he preferred not doing anything about cold symptoms, because he believed it prolonged the cold - that you have a cough or drainage for a reason and it is part of ridding the body of the germs.

Hope you get better soon.

Well, on Wed. my face started feeling very hot, so I stayed home on Thurs. I had a temp of 99.4 or maybe a notch more. I hate to read those things. That is not much fever, but I was knocked out. I slept and slept and returned to school today. By Monday I will be fine. I am glad you are watching the asthma/bronchitis,daylilyfan. That can get dangerous quickly if ignored. I am glad that I got the flu shot. This could have been much worse --- maybe, then again maybe the flu shot didn't do any good.
Sammy

My husband and I both had the same thing. He brought the "thing" home from a computer show in Las Vegas, and after taking care of him for a week, I came down with it. Started with a sore throat, nasal congestion, and then the cough. He was much sicker than I, but the cough was the most bothersome part, especially as it really interrupted our sleep. Fatigue, too, was a big part. But we are better now and hope you will be, too. The cough, however, really lingered.

I've had what I think is a cold for the past two weeks. Started with a sore throat and coughing. The sore throat went away, but the cough didn't. Lots of mucus. Feel very run down. I'm worried it might be bronchitis.

I don't get a cold very often, but when I do it begins with a sore throat, progresses to a stuffed nose, then "settles" into a cough. The cough stage is bad for a few days, but then lingers as a mild cough/scratchy throat/general blahh feeling for weeks--sometimes as much as 3-4 weeks. I hate it! I'm a teacher too and have to talk much of the day, which leaves me hoarse and coughing over and over again.

I didn't have the general blah feeling, but the cough lasted forever. My doctor told me that when it happened again to call him, and he would give me a very strong cough medicine to take at night that would help stop it. He said that the cough causes the cough. But I didn't feel bad, the cough just lingered. If I were to feel bad, I would see him for fear that there could be an infection.

Sammy