Cough

Cough is one of the most frequent causes of visits to the doctor office. Cough is an explosive expiration that protects the lungs and promotes the movement of secretions upward towards the mouth. There are various types of cough. It can be nocturnal also. Interpretation of the significance of a cough depends on the clinical context.

It can have respiratory and non respiratory causes. Non respiratory causes can originate from Mediastinal diseases, cardiac diseases, ENT diseases, Gastrointestinal diseases, neurological diseases and drug induced. Cough can be acute, subacute and chronic. Evaluation of cough requires duration of cough, precipitating factors and other associated complaints including sputum production.Patients require appropriate physical examination and targeted laboratory tests to reach the diagnosis.

Cough can be a symptom of underlying infection or it can be a symptom of underlying serious disease [eg: cancer] especially when it is persistent in a smoker. Change in the nature of the cough is also significant in a patient. Cough can occur either due to upper respiratory tract or lower respiratory tract diseases.

We should always work towards a clear cause for cough, considering common and rare illnesses. Persistent cough always requires evaluation.