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Chronic cough and its diagnosis

Chronic cough can be extremely irritating and a deterrent to everyday life. A cough that persists for more than eight weeks in adults and four weeks in children is classified as chronic cough. However, if there are any accompanying symptoms, it is only prudent to consult a professional health provider early. Spitting colored sputum or blood certainly warrants a call on to the physician. A persistent cough leads to complications. It can interrupt sleep and cause exhaustion. In severe cases, it is known to cause a momentary loss of consciousness or syncope, headache, nausea, vomiting, etc. A chronic cough normally has an underlying medical problem. The treatment is treating the underlying anomaly after identifying it.

Chronic cough is generally associated with symptoms like runny or blocked nose (normal cold), postnasal drip, throat infection, whooping cough, wheezing. and shortness of breath (asthma). Other symptoms may include heart burn (acid reflux), colored or perhaps bloody sputum. Coughs that disturb sleep or interferes work or school or bring up sputum or blood are severe enough to have a consultation with a health provider at the earliest. Besides these certain blood pressure drugs can also cause a chronic cough.

In most cases, the diagnosis is made from the history of the case and a physical examination itself. Only when there is any uncertainty, a test is suggested. Acid reflux, postnasal drip, running nose and asthma fall in this category. A sinus x-ray will confirm the postnasal drip as fluid accumulations or infection will be detected. Similarly, a chest x-ray would identify tuberculosis, cancer, and pneumonia. A lung function test and an asthma challenge test are used to confirm asthma. The former determines one’s pulmonary capacity and the rate of air discharge during expiration. Asthma problem is a repeat of the above where the expiration rate is determined before and after inhaling a dose of methacholine. Even if after all these tests a firm diagnosis is not arrived, an endoscopic examination and biopsies may be needed. In children, a chest x-ray and spirometry is normally recommended.

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