They measure how much air your lungs can hold and how fast you can exhale. Your doctor may request an asthma challenge test, which checks how well you can breathe before and after inhaling the drug methacholine Provocholine. If the mucus that you cough up is colored, your doctor may want to test a sample of it for bacteria. If your doctor isn't able to find an explanation for your cough, special scope tests may be considered to look for possible causes.
These tests may include:. A chest X-ray and spirometry, at a minimum, are typically ordered to find the cause of a chronic cough in children. Determining the cause of chronic cough is crucial to effective treatment. In many cases, more than one underlying condition may be causing your chronic cough.
If you are currently smoking, your doctor will discuss with you your readiness to quit and provide assistance to achieve this goal. If you're taking an ACE inhibitor medication, your doctor may switch you to another medicine that doesn't have cough as a side effect.
During the time your doctor is determining the reason for your cough and beginning treatment, your doctor may also prescribe a cough suppressant to try to speed your symptom relief. Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are intended to treat the symptoms of coughs and colds, not the underlying disease. Research suggests that these medicines haven't been proved to work any better than inactive medicine placebo.
More important, these medications have potentially serious side effects, including fatal overdoses in children younger than 2 years old. Don't use over-the-counter medicines, except for fever reducers and pain relievers, to treat coughs and colds in children younger than 6 years old.
Also, consider avoiding use of these medicines for children younger than 12 years old. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. Follow the plan your doctor gives you for treating the cause of your cough. In the meantime, you can also try these tips to ease your cough:. While you may initially see your family doctor, he or she may refer you to a doctor who specializes in lung disorders pulmonologist.
Your doctor will ask additional questions based on your responses, symptoms and needs. Preparing and anticipating questions will help you make the most of your time with the doctor. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. At the doctor's office, they will take your vital signs including your temperature. They may check the oxygen level in your blood by attaching a small painless clip to your finger. Your doctor will look at the back of your throat and ears when necessary. They will listen to your lungs and heart with a stethoscope and may also look at your legs and skin.
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Our service is free and we are here to help you. Chronic Cough Symptoms and Diagnosis. Section Menu. When to see your healthcare provider A cough that lasts less than eight weeks is usually caused by a respiratory infection and will go away on its own. How Is Chronic Cough Diagnosed? Our service is free and we are here to help you by phone, web chat or email. Medical history Your doctor will ask you questions about your cough, overall health and activities: When did your cough start?
Our pulmonary medicine specialists use a multispecialty practice model that consistently yields effective, coordinated, high-value care. Your pulmonologist may work with experts in ear, nose and throat conditions ; speech pathology; allergic diseases ; digestive disorders gastroenterology or others as needed so that you get exactly the care you need. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. News and World Report.
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. Mayo Clinic pulmonary medicine clinician-scientists and researchers are committed to advancing chronic cough prevention, diagnosis and treatment through research. They work closely with colleagues in otolaryngology to research new medications and bring them into clinical practice. Other research studies include:. Our researchers also carry out a wide range of clinical trials focused on treatment of conditions that affect the lungs and breathing.
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