Cough is one of the most common clinical symptoms of diseases of the respiratory system and is a protective, beneficial reflex of the body. The presence of cough can be treated according to different etiologies, with anti-inflammatory and cough suppressant medications, etc. It is also possible to have a clinical condition in which taking medications for coughing is not effective. Cough is a symptom, not a disease. The main cause of cough is an infectious inflammation, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Tumors, physicochemical factors, allergies and other factors can cause cough. Common respiratory diseases, diseases such as pleurisy, cardiovascular diseases, and diseases caused by nerves can also cause cough. Because the causes of cough are different, patients need to go to the hospital to have blood tests such as routine blood tests, blood sedimentation chest films, tuberculin tests, and C-reactive protein to confirm the diagnosis. After the diagnosis is made, the cause of the cough needs to be treated symptomatically, and a combination of Chinese and Western medicine can be used. In conclusion, if cough medication is not effective, in addition to clear diagnosis and symptomatic treatment, patients should also pay attention to their diet, not to eat spicy and stimulating food, to drink water with pears, to take more rest, to avoid staying up late, and to do nebulized inhalation to stop coughing and dissolve phlegm.