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Cough Symptoms

Although the signs of a cough are self-explanatory, what differentiates the cause of a cough are the associated signs and symptoms. Another important factor in determining the cause of the cough is whether it is acute or chronic.

• Acute coughs have been divided into infectious and noninfectious causes.

• Signs and symptoms that point to an infection include fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, headache, sinus pressure, runny nose, night sweats, and postnasal drip. Sputum, or phlegm, sometimes indicates an infection is present, but it is also seen in noninfectious causes.

• Signs and symptoms that point to a noninfectious cause include coughs that occur when you are exposed to certain chemicals or irritants in the environment, coughs with wheezing, coughs that routinely worsen when you go to certain locations or do certain activities, or coughs that improve with inhalers or allergy medications.

• The signs and symptoms of the chronic cough can be hard for doctors to assess, because many causes of the chronic cough have overlapping signs and symptoms.

• If your cough is related to environmental irritants, it will worsen when exposed to the offending agent. If you have an environmental allergy, your cough may improve when using allergy medications. If you have a smoker's cough, it may improve if you stop smoking and worsen with increased smoking.

• If you have a chronic lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis, you may have a persistent cough or a cough that worsens with certain locations or activities. You may or may not have sputum with your cough and often have improvement in your cough with the use of inhaled or oral steroids, or other inhaled medications.

• If your cough is caused by chronic sinus infections, chronic runny nose, or chronic postnasal drip, you will often have the signs and symptoms associated with these conditions. You may also notice that your cough worsens when your problem worsens, and often your cough will improve when the underlying problem is treated.

• If your cough is associated with medications, such as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, the cough will begin after starting the medication in question. The cough is often dry and improves when the medication is stopped.

• A cough associated with GERD is often associated with a sensation of heartburn. This type of cough worsens during the day or when you lie flat on your back. Furthermore, a sizable minority of people with a cough caused by GERD will note no symptoms of reflux, but most people will report improvement in their cough when GERD is treated properly.

• If your cough is a warning sign of an underlying cancer, you may have a group of symptoms. If lung cancer or a cancer of the air passages is present, you may cough up blood. Other signs and symptoms that may warn of a cancer include worsening fatigue, loss of appetite, unexplained loss of weight, or decreased ability to swallow solid or liquid foods.