Cough, smoker’s

A recurrent cough in smokers. The cough is usually triggered by the accumulation of thick sputum in the airways due to inflammation caused by smoking. Giving up smoking usually stops the cough but it may take time. In general, the longer a person has been smoking, the longer it will take. Smokers with a cough should seek medical advice, particularly if their cough changes, because smoking is associated with lung cancer (see tobacco-smoking).