Lingering Cough After COVID or Flu: Why It Happens & How Healing Therapies Can Help
Welcome back to Dr. Ark's Healing Tribe!
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of patients have presented to my office weeks after their initial infection frustrated and exhausted. Even after their fever is gone and their energy begins to return, a dry, nagging cough remains.
This lingering cough has become one of the most common complaints following both COVID-19 and seasonal flu. It seems that COVID has altered the way people’s immune systems react to viruses, making recovery slower and symptoms more persistent than before.
From a Western medical perspective, a lingering cough may relate to airway irritation, post-viral inflammation, or excess mucus that the body is still trying to clear. For some, it can even be a sign that the immune system remains on “high alert,” keeping the body in a prolonged state of defense.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) this pattern is recognized as an imbalance in the Lung system, sometimes accompanied by the Spleen when phlegm is present, or the Kidney when the body’s energy is too weak to restore balance fully. The Liver also plays an important role. When Liver Qi becomes stagnant or overheated after illness, it can rise upward and irritate the Lungs, leading to a persistent cough, chest tightness, or even throat discomfort. COVID-19 and flu are seen as external pathogens that may leave behind “residual heat or dampness” in these organ systems. Unless this leftover energy is fully cleared, symptoms such as cough, fatigue or shortness of breath may continue to linger.
From a Western medical standpoint, we also know that both COVID-19 and influenza can stress the Liver. Studies have shown temporary elevations in liver enzymes after infection, which indicate inflammation or overwork of this vital organ. Because the Liver filters toxins, regulates immunity and supports metabolism, when it is under strain the entire recovery process slows down. Fatigue, poor digestion, and even prolonged respiratory symptoms can all be linked back to impaired liver function.
By combining both perspectives, we see how important the Liver is in post-viral recovery. In TCM, we work to move Liver Qi, clear residual heat, and restore balance between the Liver and Lungs. In modern physiology, supporting the Liver means reducing inflammation, improving detoxification, and allowing the immune system to settle down.
Thus, acupuncture + medical massage can make a powerful difference. Acupuncture not only opens the Lung channels to calm coughing, but also regulates the Liver to ease stagnation, reduce heat, and restore harmony. Massage improves circulation, supports detoxification, and reduces tension that may restrict breathing. Many patients notice their cough softens, their energy rises, and their overall recovery feels much smoother when the Liver is supported alongside the Lungs.
In addition to professional therapies, patients can support their Liver naturally during recovery. Staying well-hydrated, eating warm, easily digestible foods, reducing alcohol and processed foods, engaging in gentle movement like walking or stretching, and prioritizing rest all help the Liver process residual toxins and inflammation. Combined with acupuncture and massage, these lifestyle steps can accelerate recovery, alleviate lingering coughs, and restore energy more fully.
Recovery after illness is more than removing the virus — it’s about restoring harmony to the whole body. When the Lungs, Liver and Immune system are balanced again, the cough fades, strength returns, and patients truly feel well.
From my hands to your healing,
Dr. Ark
