Housecall for Health: Coughing Lasts Longer than Thought

It’s not uncommon to go to the doctor after just a few days with a cough, but a new study finds that a cough lasts longer than first thought and many people are taking the wrong medicine for it.

FOX’s Colleen Cappon reports in today’s “Housecall for Health”:

A week with a cough can seem like forever, but new research says you’ll need to wait longer for it to clear up – as long as 18 days.  A study from the University of Georgia Health Science found most patients seek medical care for a cough too soon, and 50% are given antibiotics, even though most coughs are caused by a virus.

Experts say knowing how long a cough should last may reduce unnecessary use of the drugs.

Housecall for Health, I’m Colleen Cappon, FOX News Radio.