Your Dry Cough is due to an infection!

Dry cough is irritating and a nuisance to live with. If the dry cough is persistent, life is even worse and can make you unbearable to live with! In most cases, dry coughs are because of an unresolved upper-respiratory infection, which could be Influenza, Covid19 or Mycoplasma.

Flu and Covid

When our respiratory system comes into contact with external pathogen, whether it is Influenza A or Covid19, our immune system is triggered, leading to cough. A cough is fine, so long as it is productive.

A common type of cough is called Post-infectious cough (PIC). This type of cough is usually not productive. There is a feeling of phlegm in the throat but it just doesn’t dislodge. Such a cough can persist for more than weeks or even months after the initial viral infection.

Upper respiratory infections like Influenza A or Covid19 irritate the airways, triggering the cough reflex. If it happens in the acute phase and the cough produces phlegm easily, this is a productive cough, which we want.

However, if most of the viral infection has cleared, but the cough reflex continues on in a persistent manner, this is not good. It is partially due to a residual infection triggering a perpetual cough reflex Post-infectious cough.

Mycoplasma

Mycoplasma Pneumoniae transmits through respiratory droplets. If you are infected and are in close proximity with another person, this greatly increases the chances of infection.

Mycoplasma mainly affects the lower respiratory system, that is the bronchi and bronchioles. When the bronchial walls are irritated, it triggers the cough reflex.

The most common symptom of mycoplasma is a mild and persistent cough Because mycoplasma symptoms may be mild, it is often left undiagnosed when you go to the GP. Or you may be given amoxycillin by your GP which does help. PCR is the primary lab identification for mycoplasma.

Why does amoxycillin not help?

Mycoplasma bacteria does not have a cell wall, therefore penicillin antibiotics like amoxicillin which target the cell wall do not help. Macrolides and tetracycline may be more therapeutically effective.