From Tickles to Troubles: Knowing When to Treat Your Cough in Southern Delaware

Living in Southern Delaware, including Milton, comes with its own unique health challenges, from fluctuating coastal weather to seasonal allergens like ragweed and tree pollen.

A persistent cough can be more than just a nuisance—it may signal anything from seasonal allergies to a more serious respiratory condition.

Understanding the type of cough you have and knowing when to seek care can make all the difference in your health.

How Long Have You Been Coughing?

The duration of your cough can help determine its severity:

• A few days to a week: Likely due to a cold or mild allergies and may resolve on its own.
• More than two weeks: Could indicate a secondary infection like bronchitis or a more serious condition.
• Eight weeks or longer: A chronic cough that requires medical evaluation to identify the underlying cause.

Types of Coughs and Common Causes

• Wet Cough: Delaware’s flu season, which typically peaks in winter, often leads to lingering wet coughs. This type of cough produces mucus and is your body’s way of clearing irritants or infections.
• Dry Cough:
  A tickling, non-productive cough often linked to allergies, asthma, acid reflux, or irritants like smoke. Southern Delaware’s high pollen counts, especially from ragweed and oak trees, are a major trigger for dry coughs.
• Whooping Cough:
  A rare but serious bacterial infection characterized by a “whooping” sound after coughing fits. It’s especially dangerous for infants and unvaccinated individuals. Vaccination remains the best prevention.
• Chronic Cough:
  Lasting 8+ weeks, this type of cough often stems from conditions like asthma, COPD, or postnasal drip. Chronic lower respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of death in Delaware, underscoring the importance of addressing persistent symptoms.

When to get Immediate Care

While many coughs resolve on their own, certain symptoms and situations signal the need for professional medical care. Seek medical attention if your cough is accompanied by:

• Shortness of Breath: Difficulty breathing or feeling like you can’t get enough air.
• Fever: Persistent or high fever, which may indicate a significant infection.
• Chest Pain: Pain or tightness when coughing or breathing.
• Wheezing: A whistling sound when breathing, often linked to asthma or airway obstructions.
• Coughing up Blood: Any amount of blood in your phlegm warrants immediate medical attention.

Additionally, consult a doctor if your cough lasts longer than two weeks, disrupts your sleep, or is paired with underlying health conditions like asthma, heart disease, or a weakened immune system.

For life-threatening symptoms such as severe difficulty breathing, chest pain, or coughing up blood, visit the nearest emergency department immediately.

At Bayhealth Total Care’s Emergency and Urgent Care Center, our primary goal is to provide the residents of Sussex County with exceptional service and the proper billing for the care they need. Our combined emergency room and urgent care in Milton are fully equipped to handle everything from allergies to chest pain 24/7 with on-site labs, X-ray, ultrasound and CT.

Every patient at our ER and urgent care walk-in clinic is seen by an ER-trained physician at every visit, regardless of the level of care they need. Our approach makes care more affordable by avoiding the higher cost of the emergency room if patients only require urgent care services. Our ER and urgent care clinic is open 24/7.

Bayhealth Total Care’s Emergency and Urgent Care Center is located at 18383 Hudson Road, Milton, DE 19968.