A cough could be just a tickle, or a sign of something serious

LIKE headaches, sore throats and runny noses, coughs are extremely common and most of the time, nothing to really worry about.

Colds and minor infections are often a cough-causing culprit, but conditions like allergies and asthma — as well as things like the weather, environment, and smoking — can also come into play.

But if a cough doesn’t clear up after a few weeks, how can you tell whether there’s possibly something more serious going on?