Medical Health Encyclopedia

In emergency cases, the patient will be treated first to stabilize the condition. After the condition is stable, the doctor will ask questions about your cough, including:

• Are you coughing up blood? (How much, how often)
• Do you bring up any mucus/sputum when you cough? What does it look like? Is it thick and hard to cough up? How much sputum is produced per day?
• Is the cough severe? Is the cough dry?
• Does the cough sound like a seal barking?
• What is the pattern of the cough? Did it begin suddenly? Has it been increasing recently? Is the cough worse at night? When you first awaken?
• How long has the cough lasted?
• Is the cough worse when you are lying on one side?
• Are there sudden periodic attacks of coughing with gagging and vomiting?
• What other symptoms are present?

The physical examination will include emphasis on the ears, nose, throat and chest.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:

• Bronchoscopy
• Lung scan
• Pulmonary function tests
• Sputum analysis (if the cough produces sputum)
• X-ray of the chest