Taipei City Government

People can get a cough easily or suffer from relevant respiratory symptoms during the seasonal transition, or in areas with serious air pollution. However, if the cough lasts for a long time and shows no signs of improvement, then factors other than upper respiratory problems may need to be considered. Gastrointestinal problems, side effects of drugs and even tumors can have coughing as the initial symptom.
Yan Zhengzhong, attending doctor of the Family Medicine Department in Linsen Chinese Medicine Branch of Taipei City Hospital, says that quite a lot of outpatients complain of coughs, but the potential diagnosis results might be quite different. Therefore, the doctor must ask the disease history, working condition, medication history and previous physical examination in detail, and then arrange for relevant examinations to find the cause for chronic cough, and treat the disease accordingly.
If the cough often occurs when the patient lies down and is accompanied by stomachache and chest burning, it is probably caused by gastroesophageal reflux. Some patients with hypertension who take angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) may suffer from the medication side effect, dry cough. Smokers or people suffering from chronic pulmonary diseases are also subject to chronic cough. Therefore, Dr. Yan suggests that people go to a hospital for a detailed examination when the cough hasn’t improved after 2 weeks.
Dr. Yan reminds us that people should pay attention to any physical discomforts, have regular physical examinations and seek medical treatment if any abnormality occurs; they should not ignore or delay the treatment of common symptoms. Though cough seems like a mild symptom, people are still strongly suggested to seek medical treatment as early as possible if it lasts for a long time and even worsens.