Description
Protective respiratory reflex, induced by stimulation of respiratory tree receptors.
Symptoms
Cough may be productive (sputum produced) or nonproductive (dry).
History
Help your physician help you by keeping track of some clinically relevant history including, but not limited to:
- Timing of your cough
- Current or past exposure to tobacco, second hand smoke, etc
- Occupational exposures to uncommon items
- Is your cough productive or non-productive?
- If productie cough, what is the color of your sputum or is it blood tinged?
Diagnosis
Check with you healthcare practitioner for (as applicable):
- Detailed history and physical examination
- Chest x-ray
- Pulmonary function testing
- Sputum analysis (culture and cytology)
- upper gastrointestinal exam to rule out reflux/aspiration)
- empiric trial of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) for GERD
Pathology
Cough is by far 0ne of the most challenging diagnostic and treatment dillemas encountered in clinical practice. Although an innocent symptom, it can be very annoying and at times a significant manifestation of a bigger or more severe underlying problem.
It is very important to discuss with your physician to explore the alternatives (differentials) first: reflex, inflammatory process, hypersensitivity/allergy, other airways related issues, etc.
Differential Diagnosis:
- Asthma
- GERD
- Foreign body aspiration
- Congestive heart failure
- Pneumonia
- Sinusitis
- Malignancies
- ACE-Inhibitor related side effect
Treatment
This will vary depending on the etiology of the cough. Treatment could be as simple as a bronchodilator inhaler and/or oral medication H2 blockers or may require further dignostic & therapeutic workup as in bronchoscopy for foreign body retreival.
–Contributor: Nina Jaitly, MD, LivingHealthy Clinic, LivingHealthyWorldWide.com