Chronic Cough

Your healthcare professional asks about your medical history and does a physical exam. A thorough medical history and physical exam can give important clues about a chronic cough. Your health professional also may order tests to look for the cause of your chronic cough.

But many health professionals start treatment for one of the common causes of chronic cough rather than ordering expensive tests. If the treatment doesn’t work, you may be tested for less common causes.

Imaging tests

X-rays. Although a routine chest X-ray won’t reveal the most common reasons for a cough — postnasal drip, acid reflux, tobacco use or asthma — it may be used to check for lung cancer, pneumonia and other lung diseases. An X-ray of your sinuses may reveal evidence of a sinus infection.
Computerized tomography scans. These scans also are called CT scans. They may be used to check your lungs for conditions that may produce chronic cough or your sinus cavities for pockets of infection.

Lung function tests

These simple, noninvasive tests, such as spirometry, are used to diagnose asthma and COPD. They measure how much air your lungs can hold and how fast you can exhale.

Your healthcare professional may request an asthma challenge test. This test checks how well you can breathe before and after inhaling the drug methacholine (Provocholine).

Lab tests

If the mucus that you cough up is colored, your healthcare professional may want to test a sample of it for bacteria.

Scope tests

If your healthcare professional can’t find the cause of your cough, special scope tests may be used to look for possible causes. These tests may include:

Bronchoscopy. A bronchoscope is a thin, flexible tube that has a light and camera attached to it. Your health professional can look at your lungs and air passages. A biopsy also can be taken from the inside lining of your airway, also known as the mucosa, to look for anything unusual. A biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of tissue for testing in a lab.
Rhinoscopy. Using a fiberoptic scope, also known as a rhinoscope, your health professional can view your nasal passageways, sinuses and upper airway.

Children

A chest X-ray and spirometry, at a minimum, are usually ordered to find the cause of a chronic cough in children.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

Request an appointment

Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

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