You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:
- How long have you had the cough?
- How often do you cough?
- Does the cough have a pattern, such as worsening at night or becoming more frequent in the morning?
- What situations increase your coughing?
- Are you exposed to any irritants, such as smoke, dust, or chemicals, in your home or workplace?
- Is the cough productive (brings up sputum) or nonproductive (dry and hacking)? Be prepared to describe the color (bloody, rusty, white, yellow, or green), amount, and consistency of any sputum.
- Do you have other symptoms that may be related to your cough, such as nasal drainage, fever, shortness of breath, wheezing, or other suspected cold symptoms?
- What home treatment have you tried? Did it help?
- What prescription and nonprescription medicines or other treatments have you tried? Did they help?
- What prescription and nonprescription medicines do you take regularly?
- Have you ever been diagnosed with allergies or asthma? Does anyone else in your family have allergies or asthma?
- Have you traveled recently?
- Do you have any health risks?
