Is coughing a flu symptom?
Question: Is coughing a flu symptom?
Answer:
Coughing is indeed one of the most common symptoms of influenza, also known as the flu. When the influenza virus infects the respiratory tract, it causes inflammation and irritation of the airways, triggering the body’s natural cough reflex. This cough can be either dry and hacking or productive with mucus, depending on the stage of the illness and individual factors.
The flu-related cough typically develops within the first few days of infection and can persist for two weeks or longer, even after other symptoms have improved.
This happens because the damage and inflammation to the airways take time to heal, even as the body successfully fights off the virus. Many people find this lingering cough to be one of the most frustrating aspects of recovering from the flu.
While coughing is a characteristic symptom of the flu, it’s important to note that it rarely occurs in isolation. Flu-related coughs usually appear alongside other symptoms such as fever, body aches, fatigue, and headaches.
The combination and sudden onset of these symptoms, including the cough, help distinguish the flu from other respiratory conditions like the common cold, where symptoms tend to develop more gradually and are generally milder.
