Coughing spasms Assessment Questionnaire

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Coughing spasms. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.

Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:

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How long have you had the coughing spasms?
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
How would you describe the cough?
Why: e.g. paroxysmal coughing spasms with whoops associated with going red in the face and sometimes vomiting after spasms suggest whooping cough and the whoop like cough may recur due to other respiratory infections; croup cough is harsh and barking.
What time of the day is the cough worse?
Why: e.g. coughing spasms at night may suggest chronic bronchitis, whooping cough or croup; cough on waking may suggest bronchiectasis or chronic bronchitis.
Is the cough related to meals?
Why: e.g. esophageal atresia and tracheo-esophageal fistula.
Immunization statues for whooping cough?
Why: immunization does not give total protection, no is protection life long but immunized patients have a milder illness.
Past medical history?
Why: recurrent lung infections from childhood may suggest cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis.
Family history?
Why: e.g. cystic fibrosis; emphysema ( alpha 1- antitrypsin deficiency);anyone in the family or any other contacts had whooping cough, croup or influenza.
Cigarette smoking
Why: past and present? - increases the risk of emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Whoops during a coughing spasm?
Why: i.e. each inspiration is followed by a rapid succession of expiratory hacks. Repeated spasms commonly end in an inspiratory whoop, but this may be absent in a fully immunized person - suggests whooping cough.
Stridor?
Why: may suggest croup.
Hoarse voice?
Why: may suggest croup.
Sputum production?
Why: If there is sputum production, describe it? - e.g. copious amounts with offensive smell suggests bronchiectasis; pus-like sputum may suggest bronchiectasis.
Blood in sputum?
Why: may suggest chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis.
Wheeze?
Why: may suggest chronic bronchitis or emphysema.
Shortness of breath?
Why: may suggest emphysema or tuberculosis.
Fever?
Why: may suggest influenza, croup or sometimes bronchiectasis.

Conditions listing medical symptoms: Coughing spasms:

The following list of conditions have 'Coughing spasms' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Coughing spasms or choose View All.

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Conditions listing medical complications: Coughing spasms:

The following list of medical conditions have 'Coughing spasms' or similar listed as a medical complication in our database.

» Next page: Types of Coughing spasms

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