The two most common causes of an acute cough are an upper respiratory tract infection (cold) or bronchitis with inflammation. Other causes include:

• Influenza: Viral infection of the respiratory tract.
• COVID-19
• Chronic sinusitis: Chronic sinusitis is usually accompanied by a mostly dry cough (irritable cough).
• Asthma bronchiale
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Pneumonia: Initially usually dry cough, later mucopurulent.
• Lung collapse (pneumothorax): Pathological accumulation of air between the inner and outer lung pleura.
• Pleurisy: Acute inflammation of the pleura and/or pleura. Dry irritating cough and severe, unilateral, and respiratory chest pain.
• Ingestion or inhalation of irritant gases
• Allergies
• Pulmonary embolism: cough with possible bloody sputum, shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and bluish discoloration of skin and mucous membranes.
• Lung cancer (lung and bronchial carcinoma)
• Whooping cough (pertussis): Severe respiratory infection caused by bacteria and is very contagious. Cramping coughing fits followed by gasping for air.
• Diphtheria: Acute, bacterial respiratory infection.
• Tuberculosis (consumption): persistent cough, either with (productive cough) or without sputum (dry cough).
• Bronchiectasis: permanent enlargement of bronchial branches in the lungs. Chronic productive cough with a lot of sputum, often yellow-greenish in color.
• Reflux disease: chronic dry cough (with and without heartburn)
• Medication side effect