Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of cough. Family history
- What is the general health of your family members?
- Are there any respiratory diseases in the family?
- Are there frequent respiratory diseases in your family?
Social history
- What is your profession?
- Are you exposed to harmful working substances in your profession?
Current medical history/systemic medical history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- How long have you had a cough?
- How did the cough start?
- Gradually?
- Sudden onset?
- What does the cough sound like?
- Roaring, dry, throat clearing, coming to a halt in sleep, environment more affected than the patient.
- Barking
- Staccato-like*
- Has the cough changed in quality and quantity recently?
- Quality:
- Irritative cough (dry cough)
- Productive cough (moist cough)
- Hemoptysis
- Viscous discharges
- In addition, do you have sputum? If yes:
- What does the sputum look like?
- Quantity?
- Consistency?
- Coughing up blood* ?
- Does the sputum occur constantly or only at certain times (time of day?)?
- Does the sputum occur more after eating?
- What does the sputum look like?
- Do you have a continuous cough without being healthy at times?
- Do you experience other symptoms besides sputum, such as fatigue, exhaustion, and/or fever?
- Do you have difficulty breathing* ?
- Shortness of breath* ?
- Whistling breath sound* occurring during inspiration and/or expiration (inspiratory/expiratory stridor)?
- Do you suffer from hoarseness?
- Are you in pain?
- Head?
- Ears?
- Throat?
- Thorax* ?
- Limbs?
- Do you have a cold?
- Do you suffer from bad breath?
- What triggers the cough (trigger)?
- Exertion, cold air
- Lying down
- Food intake
- What helps with the cough? Sleep?
- Do you have a cough essentially only at night?
- Do you have a fever* ?
- Do you have any other symptoms such as.
- Runny or stuffy nose?
- Reddened eyes?
- Morning sneezing?
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
- Have you lost body weight? Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
- Has your appetite changed?
- Do you smoke? If so, how many cigarettes, cigars, or pipes per day?
- Are you a passive smoker?
- Do you drink alcohol? If so, what drink(s) and how many glasses per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (respiratory disease; chronic bronchitis; sinusitis/sinusitis; allergies, bronchial asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); lung problems during pregnancy or childbirth?)
- Operations
- Allergies
- Environmental history (exposure to inhaled noxious agents).
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (respiratory diseases; chronic bronchitis; sinusitis/sinusitis; allergies, bronchial asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)).
- Operations
- Allergies
- Environmental history (exposure to inhaled noxious agents).
Drug history
- ACE inhibitors (benazepril, captopril, cilazapril, enalapril, fosinopril, imidapril, lisinopril, moexipril, perindopril, quinapril, ramipril, spirapril, trandolapril, zofenopril) [irritable cough; dry cough; not dose-related; occurrence within hours to weeks/months].
- Amiodarone (antiarrhythmic agent).
- Analgesics
- Coxiebe (celecoxib, parecoxib)
- Angiotension II receptor antagonists (AT-II-RB; ARB; angiotensin II receptor subtype 1 antagonists; angiotensin receptor blockers; AT1 receptor antagonists, AT1 receptor blockers, AT1 antagonists, AT1 blockers; Angiotensin receptor blockers, sartans) – candesartan, eprosartan, irbesartan, losartan, olmesartan, telmisartan, valsartan [Side effect: Irritable cough is questionable according to current studies]
- Anticholinergics (ipratropium bromide).
- Beta blockers
- Cromoglicic acid
- MTOR inhibitors (everolimus, temsirolimus)
- N-methyl-D-aspartate recptor antagonist (memantine).
- Cytostatics
- Antimetabolites (methotrexate (MTX))
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Data without guarantee)