Study: People Expect Quick Fix for Coughs

A cough from a head or chest cold is likely to last longer than you think, a new study finds. That means you usually don’t need antibiotics for a lingering cough, researchers said. The study included nearly 500 adults. As part of a poll, they were asked how long they expected a cough to last. People estimated about 7 to 9 days. Researchers compared these answers with the results of 19 studies on treatment of coughs. The studies showed that, on average, an untreated cough lasts about 18 days — twice as long as people who were polled thought. Researchers said people who think their cough should be gone quickly are more likely to ask for an antibiotic when it hangs on longer. But most coughs are caused by viruses. Antibiotics don’t treat viral infections. They only treat infections caused by bacteria.