Your colds typically conclude with a dry, hacking cough that lasts a few days. But after one particular cold, your cough went on for weeks. You figured you had bronchitis.
You’d had bronchitis before. It was annoying, but nothing to worry about. You knew what to do: You took a cough suppressant, sipped herb teas, made a big pot of chicken soup, and upped your daily dose of vitamin C. But your coughing continued, and not just during the day. You also developed a symptom you’d never had before, terrible coughing fits that kept you up at night.