Cough and Fever

Symptoms like cough, cold and fever are quite commonly experienced by people, more commonly, by children. Cough can be classified into different types like dry cough, wet cough or even constant painful cough. Similarly, fever can be of high-grade, low-grade; or mild fever that comes and goes, etc. Depending on the type of cough and fever, the doctor can diagnose the underlying cause of the symptoms. Following are the potential causes.


Symptoms like fever, cough, headache, etc. usually occur due to respiratory disorders. However, as these symptoms are observed in many other illness, it is really difficult to diagnose the exact cause without consulting the doctor. Allergy is one of the most common cause of fever and cough together in people. The following are the other causes.

Viral Infections: Next to allergy, viral infections are also common causes of cough and fever in adults, as well as children. In case of viral infections like common cold and influenza (flu), the cough is wet and non-productive, which is accompanied by a low-grade fever.

Bacterial Infections: Besides viral infections, bacterial infections like bronchitis, pneumonia, strep throat, whooping cough, etc. can also cause fever, itchy throat and cough. The cough and breath sounds like 'whooping' sound if the person suffers from whooping cough. Sinus infection is also a type of bacterial infection which is characterized by symptoms like dry and non-mucus producing cough and high fever.

Croup: Croup is caused due to viral infection and is characterized by harsh excess coughing, hoarseness, and fever. It is particularly observed in infants from 6 months to 4 years of age. The loud and noise cough that comes suddenly or in the middle of the night, is caused due to croup.

Teething: While it is not unusual for babies to contract the above mentioned infectious diseases, teething is the most significant cause of cough and fever in babies. The cough produced during baby teething is mostly caused due to the excess salivation. One should not get worried as these are common baby teething symptoms.


As mentioned above, it is wise to consult the doctor and get the underlying cause diagnosed immediately. Specially, if other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, headaches, etc. are observed, one must not delay a doctor's visit. Traditional treatment methods like use of medication, cough syrup, etc. is used to treat these symptoms. Secondly, if there is any serious underlying cause, the doctor will prescribe related treatment method for it.

On the other hand, several home remedies are also effective for treating cough and mild fever. Steam and vaporizers can be used to ease the discomfort. Similarly, lozenges, cough drops and cough syrups can be taken without prescription. However, it is not recommended to use any over-the-counter medications and drugs in case of babies and children. Peppermint or eucalyptus oils can also be used to treat cough and nasal congestion. It is also very important to drink adequate amounts of water and take complete rest in order to recover soon.

Fever, cough and infections can be prevented to a large extent by having a balanced diet and maintaining hygiene. Although these are not serious symptoms, you should not ignore them, as they might turn chronic. While concluding, note that this write-up is meant only for informational purposes. Take care!