Types of cough: Are there different kinds of cough? (by bisolvon.com)

Basically, there are two kinds of cough: productive and non-productive.

Productive cough
A productive cough, also known as chesty cough, is usually due to a viral or bacterial infection. This type of cough expels the phlegm which has formed in our respiratory passages, so that abnormal mucus and germs are eliminated from the respiratory tract and breathing becomes easier.

Non-productive cough (Dry cough)
A non-productive cough is dry, tickling and irritating. This cough can for example be caused by phlegm that is so viscous that it is not loosened and expectorated. It can also have an allergic or neurotic origin or can be caused by other perhaps more severe diseases.

Cough in common cold
In the case of a common cold or flu, there are often two phases: first a non-productive or less productive cough, followed by a productive cough.

When viruses invade the lung, the lining of the respiratory tract is attacked and impaired. The normal secretion of mucus changes: mucus becomes stickier and adheres in the lungs. It cannot be expelled yet, and coughing is experienced as very troublesome and exhausting. As the cold progresses, more mucus is usually produced and the cough becomes productive. It is then possible to expel the phlegm by coughing.

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