When is a cough worth seeing a doctor about rather than waiting it out?

Most post-viral coughs linger two to three weeks and settle on their own. The ones worth acting on: a cough lasting beyond three weeks, any blood, unexplained weight loss, drenching night sweats, or fever that keeps returning. In India that combination should specifically prompt a TB evaluation rather than another round of cough syrup. Breathlessness, chest pain, or a cough that is clearly worsening rather than plateauing also warrants review. A cough that is simply annoying but steadily improving usually does not.