What your cough means depends first on whether it is dry or productive. A dry cough produces no mucus and is often linked to irritation, allergies, a recent cold or a tickle in the throat. A productive (wet) cough brings up mucus and is common with chest infections and congestion. CoughSense in CEMP Life uses Super Intelligence (SI) to classify a 10-second cough recording as dry or productive and offer wellness guidance. It is not a diagnosis.
Quick guide
- Dry cough: tickly, no mucus. Often irritation, allergy or the tail end of a cold
- Productive cough: chesty, brings up mucus. Often congestion or a chest infection
- See a doctor if a cough lasts more than three weeks or comes with warning signs below
- Get urgent help for breathing difficulty, chest pain or coughing up blood
What is a dry cough?
A dry cough is a non-productive cough: it clears no mucus. It often feels tickly or scratchy. Common causes include viral colds (especially as they clear), allergies and hay fever, dry air, smoke or pollution, acid reflux, and some blood pressure medicines. A dry cough at night is frequently linked to post-nasal drip or reflux.
What is a productive (wet) cough?
A productive cough brings up mucus or phlegm. It sounds and feels "chesty", and it is the body clearing the airways. Common causes include chest colds, bronchitis and other respiratory infections. The colour and amount of mucus, any fever, and how long it lasts are what a clinician will want to know.
How does a cough analyzer app work?
A cough has acoustic structure: the sharpness of the initial burst, the rattle of moving mucus, and the resonance of the chest. CoughSense records you coughing naturally for 10 seconds with the phone near your mouth, analyses that acoustic signature with SI, and classifies the pattern as dry or productive, with plain-language wellness guidance.
- Open CoughSense in the Health and Wellness pod.
- Hold the phone close and tap Analyse Cough.
- Cough naturally for 10 seconds.
- Read the classification and guidance.
The recording is processed in real time and discarded. Nothing is stored and no account is needed.
Check your cough type in 10 seconds.
CEMP Life puts 20+ SI tools in one app: calorie counter, food and allergen scanner, recipe maker, wellness sensors, crash detection, car diagnosis, contract checker, receipt scanner and a full creator studio. No account needed. Nothing stored.
4-day free trial on Google Play. Cancel any time.
When should I worry about a cough?
Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if:
- The cough has lasted more than three weeks
- It is getting worse rather than better
- You have a high temperature, night sweats or unexplained weight loss
- You have a long-term condition such as asthma or COPD and your symptoms change
Seek urgent medical help if you are coughing up blood, struggling to breathe, have chest pain, or your lips or skin look blue or grey.
How to track a cough over a few days
A single classification is a snapshot. Running CoughSense once a day for a few days shows whether a productive cough is drying up, which is usually a sign of recovery, or whether things are changing in a way worth reporting. Bring that history to your appointment; it makes the conversation faster and more specific.
The honest limits
CoughSense is a lifestyle and wellness tool, not a medical device. It cannot diagnose infections, asthma, COVID-19 or any other condition, and background noise can affect a reading. Its job is to help you describe your cough accurately and notice change. For the rest of the Health and Wellness pod, see the best health and wellness app, and for night-time breathing, how to check for sleep apnea at home.
Check your cough type in 10 seconds.
CEMP Life puts 20+ SI tools in one app: calorie counter, food and allergen scanner, recipe maker, wellness sensors, crash detection, car diagnosis, contract checker, receipt scanner and a full creator studio. No account needed. Nothing stored.
4-day free trial on Google Play. Cancel any time.