Treatment: If the cough is causing irritation, an expectorant cough mixture can be used to help loosen the phlegm and make it easier to cough up.

Cough syrups either try to suppress it or help you to cough up phlegm.

Kids Cold & Mucus Relief, meanwhile, loosens mucus and makes it easier for children to cough up mucus with less irritation.

Henry recommends that patients seek a medical evaluation for coughs lasting three weeks or more, and sooner if you cough up blood or thick yellow phlegm or your cough is accompanied by high fever, shortness of breath, chest pain or wheezing.

Younger children, however, won't cough up and spit out mucus as they will cough it up into their throat and swallow it.