Other accompanying symptoms
The other symptoms depend on the underlying disease. In addition to hay fever, an allergy sufferer often has watery, red eyes and also gets bad air during the day. A skin rash is also possible.
Allergies and asthma also often occur together, so that severe asthma attacks with shortness of breath can occur when allergen contact occurs. People with heart failure often notice swollen legs during the day and their performance is significantly reduced. Under stress, symptoms similar to a heart attack, such as shortness of breath and chest tightness, can also occur.
Those affected with COPD often suffer from massive oxygen deficiency in the late stages, so that home oxygen therapy is necessary. The typical symptoms of colds are sore throat, general weakness, rhinitis and shortness of breath, as well as fever. Children with laryngitis can also have red eyes due to the severe coughing attacks.
Patients with reflux disease often suffer from heartburn and frequent belching during the day. More frequent caries treatment of the teeth is also necessary, as the stomach acid damages the teeth. Some warning symptoms of lung cancer or tuberculosis are bloody coughing, heavy sweating at night and unwanted weight loss.
The cells of the respiratory tract produce mucus throughout, as foreign substances can be easily transported outwards in this mucus. In many diseases, especially in colds and asthma, there is an increased production of mucus and a persistent cough.This cough is then considered productive and should not be suppressed, as it is a useful cleaning function of the respiratory tract. Solid greenish-yellow mucus indicates pus in the airways and can be a sign of bacterial inflammation. Some cold medicines have an expectorant effect, so that the mucus can be coughed up more easily.
The diagnosis
Coughing is only a symptom, not a disease in itself. For those affected who suffer from nocturnal coughing, a series of diagnostic tests are performed to rule out the various causes. Possible tests include a stress ECG to check the heart function, an allergy test, a lung function test and smears, and laboratory tests. Only if all common diseases are excluded or do not fit the survey, imaging techniques are used and the lung itself is assessed.
