Cough
**The following is a general guideline from the American Medical Association. The flowchart below allows you to easily track your symptoms and come to a possible diagnosis. Be sure to consult with you doctor if you feel you have a serious medical problem.
I did not produce this chart myself, so any treatment options on this page are completely conventional.
SYMPTOMS | DIAGNOSIS | SELF-CARE | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Begin Here | ||||
1. Has your cough begun recently? | Yes | Go to Question 12.** | ||
No | ||||
2. Are you very short of breath, and are you coughing up pink, frothy mucus? | Yes | Your symptoms may be from a serious condition called PULMONARY EDEMA (fluid in the lungs). | EMERGENCYGO TO THE NEAREST EMERGENCY ROOM RIGHT AWAY. | |
No | ||||
3. Does your cough produce clear or pale yellow mucus? | Yes | You may have a viral illness such as a COLD or the FLU. | Get plenty of rest, and drink lots of fluids. Try over-the-counter medicines to treat your symptoms. | |
No | ||||
4. Does your cough produce yellow, tan or green mucus? | Yes | You may have an infection of the airways such as CHRONIC BRONCHITIS. If you have a fever with shaking chills and are very ill, you may have a more serious infection such asPNEUMONIA. | See your doctor. He or she can prescribe medicine to relieve your symptoms. Get plenty of rest, and drink lots of fluids. If you smoke, stop smoking. | |
No | ||||
5. Does the cough come with shortness of breath and wheezing? | Yes | These symptoms may be a sign of ASTHMA, a constriction of the airways. | Asthma can be dangerous and should be diagnosed and treated by your doctor. | |
No | ||||
6. Do you have swelling in your legs and/or shortness of breath when you are active or after you have been lying down? | No | Go to Question 10.* | ||
Yes | ||||
7. Do you have heart problems? | Yes | Persistent coughing can be caused by CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, especially when there is a buildup of fluid in the lungs. | See your doctor. | |
No | ||||
8. Have you recently started coughing up blood or bloody sputum? | No | Go to Question 12.** | ||
Yes | ||||
9. Have you recently started having sharp chest pain, rapid heartbeat, swelling of the legs and sudden shortness of breath? | Yes | Bloody mucus with these symptoms may mean that a blood clot has moved from your leg to your lungs. This is called PULMONARY EMBOLISM. | EMERGENCY SEE YOUR DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY. |
|
No | ||||
*10. Do you have a fever, chills and night sweats along with chest pain when you cough or take a deep breath? | Yes | These symptoms may be caused by TUBERCULOSIS or another type of infection. | See your doctor. | |
No | ||||
11. Have you unintentionally lost weight? | Yes | This may be a sign of a serious illness, such as LUNG CANCER. Other signs of lung cancer may include a cough that produces bloody sputum, shortness of breath and wheezing. | See your doctor right away. | |
No | ||||
**12. Did you inhale dust, particles or an object? | Yes | IRRITATION OF THE AIRWAYS will cause coughing to attempt to clear the object or irritation out of the airway. | If the coughing is severe or if you don’t believe the irritant has been cleared from your airway, see your doctor or go to the emergency room right away. | |
No | ||||
For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think your problem is serious, call your doctor right away. |
Source: American Medical Association (2008-04-21). American Medical Association Family Medical Guide (AMA Family Medical Guide) (Kindle Locations 6690-6691). Turner Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.