In a 24-hour day, you’re probably going to cough at least once. This is our body's way to expel foreign products from our throat and chest. However, sometimes a cough isn’t just preventing illness, it's actually a symptom that you’re already sick. Here are some signs that your cough could use a doctor’s second opinion.

According to a recent video created by the team at Get Science, a cough is a result of seven body parts working together to get that tickle out of your throat. Your epiglottis, vocal cords, windpipe, lungs, chest muscles, diaphragm and abdominal muscles all work together to take in extra air, compress it, and then expel it again at speeds up to 500 mph.

Read: Coughing Up Blood: 5 Possible Causes, And What To Do

Dry Cough

A dry cough has little or no mucus involved and is usually associated with slight throat irritation. It may be due to allergies, irritation from the environment, such as cigarette smoke, or simply breathing in something that didn't settle in your throat the right way, WebMd reported.

However, sometimes a dry cough could be an early symptom of asthma or a side effect of certain medications, Health.com reported. In addition, chronic dry coughing may also be a symptom of gastric reflux disease, a condition when stomach acid bothers your esophagus.

Wet Cough

Wet coughs bring up a lot of phlegm and mucous. While this could also be the result of common environmental allergies, it could also be a sign of more dangerous health conditions, such as respiratory infections and some heart conditions.

According to Health Grades, if this wet cough persists for several days or is followed by bloody sputum, it may be one of the first tell-tale signs of lung cancer. In addition, a wet cough with yellow or green mucous that began as a dry cough could be a symptom of pneumonia. In addition, a chronic hacking-like wet cough, especially in the morning, could be a sign of COPD.

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Coughing Up Phlegm: What The Color Of Your Sputum Says About Your Health

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