Headlines:

Back to Chest Symptoms

Acute cough

The duration of cough does not exceed 3 weeks (for chronic cough click here)

If accompanied  by dyspnea then investigate as a case of dyspnea.

Exertional cough is suggestive of heart failure.

2. Character of cough

• Brassy: laryngitis

• Barking: hysterical

• Bovine: left recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis

• Whooping: pertussus

3. Timing of cough

• At night: bronchial asthma & Left ventricular failure.

• Early morning cough: smokers.

• Episodic: Asthma

4. Associated pain

• Pleuretic (pleurisy)

• Retrosternal (trachiitis)

• Muscle pain: from exertion

1. Odor of mucous

• Offensive odor = anaerobic infection

2. Character of mucous

• Caseous: TB

• White grey: smoker or irritation

• Yellow/green: infection

• Brownish: amoebic lung abscess (chocolate/ anchovy sauce)

• Frothy: pulmonary edema

• Thick mucoid: asthma

• Watery: alveolar cell carcinoma

• Saliva: hysterical

3. Relation to posture

Occurs in suppurative lung disease.

• lung abscess: on lying on the healthy side

• bronchiectasis: on leaning forwards.

If any risk factors arouse concern then perform an x-ray.

		Are you a doctor or a nurse? Do you want to join the Doctors Lounge online medical community? Participate in editorial activities (publish, peer review, edit) and give a helping hand to the largest online community of patients. Click on the link below to see the requirements: Doctors Lounge Membership Application

send to a friend printer friendly version
The Chest Discussion Board     Asthma Forum       Pneumonia Forum       Chest symptoms Forum The Chest  Diseases Articles