Bronchial Cough Symptoms

A cough is the body's way of ridding the airways of an irritant. Whether it's an allergen, virus, bacteria or toxin, the body reacts by prompting the diaphragm to send a forceful blast of air through the respiratory tract in an attempt to clear the foreign particles. With a bronchial cough, the irritant is usually affecting the airways to and from the lungs, also known as the bronchus.

The Common Cold

• For many people, a bronchial cough is a symptom of the common cold. Most of the time, this type of cough will produce a little sputum that is relatively clear to yellow in color. Since a cold is an upper respiratory infection, this cough is often associated with a sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose and sneezing. It may also produce a low-grade fever of between 99 and 102 degrees F.

The Flu

• If the bronchial cough is dry and unproductive, meaning no sputum is produced, and is accompanied by a fever of around 101 to 103 degrees F, you may be suffering from the flu. This type of illness comes on quite suddenly and makes you feel sore, achy, tired and weak. It's also not uncommon to experience some congestion, the chills, sweats and a loss of appetite when dealing with the flu.

Bronchitis

• When the bronchial tubes become inflamed and irritated, the bronchial cough will become productive, yielding a tannish to greenish sputum, and is a good indication of bronchitis. This type of illness usually develops out of a cold and is often accompanied by more pronounced respiratory changes, like shortness of breath, wheezing and actual chest tenderness or discomfort.

Pneumonia

• As soon as the cough goes deeper and moves more into the lungs, you may now be dealing with pneumonia. Though this type of respiratory infection often mimics the flu, starting off with a cough, fever, muscle aches and weakness, it also brings with it symptoms similar to bronchitis, like shortness of breath and chest discomfort. But the discomfort within the chest is more painful with pneumonia and worsens as you breathe.

Asthma

• A bronchial cough can also be a result of asthma. With this condition, the bronchial tubes actually narrow when exposed to a trigger. If the cough is due to asthma, you'll often experience wheezing upon exhalation as well as a tightness within the chest.

Digestive Disorder

• For some people, a bronchial cough can be linked to a digestive disorder, like acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease. When the contents of the stomach backflow up into the esophagus, the body can recognize this as an irritant, causing a person to cough. However, this cough is always dry and accompanied by heartburn. It may also cause some hoarseness, a sour or acidic taste in the mouth and some vomit.

Serious Condition

• A bronchial cough can also be a symptom of a very serious condition, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or even lung cancer. With any of these disorders, the cough can be either dry or productive, but it'll be chronic in nature, meaning it won't go away. It is also associated with wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain. This cough may also produce some blood during activity.