Chronic Cough

We help treat your cough that has lasted more than eight weeks

Chronic cough refers to a cough that lasts more than eight weeks. Many different lung diseases cause chronic coughing. You cough to clear your lungs and throat of irritants, such as mucus.

With most common illnesses such as strep throat or bronchitis, your body creates mucus and you cough for only a week or two. With more serious conditions, such as pneumonia, you may cough longer.

IU Health Pulmonology & Respiratory Care experts diagnose and treat lung diseases. Your physicians understand the difficulty of going about your daily life when you have trouble breathing.

As part of an academic health center, IU Health physicians access the latest treatments and clinical research trials for you. They interact with a team of specialists across many fields who share the same goal of improving your quality of life.

Understanding Chronic Cough

IU Health Pulmonology & Respiratory Care experts diagnose and treat lung diseases. Your physicians understand the difficulty of going about your daily life when you have trouble breathing.

As part of an academic health center, IU Health physicians access the latest treatments and clinical research trials for you. They interact with a team of specialists across many fields who share the same goal of improving your quality of life.

Your pulmonologist will use a variety of noninvasive tests to determine the cause of your chronic cough. He / she will help you manage your cough so you can live an active lifestyle.

To diagnose the cause of your chronic cough, evaluate your breathing and check for any blockages or tumors in your lungs, your pulmonologist will use quick, noninvasive tests such as:

Diagnosis

Your pulmonologist will use a variety of noninvasive tests to determine the cause of your chronic cough. He / she will help you manage your cough so you can live an active lifestyle.

To diagnose the cause of your chronic cough, evaluate your breathing and check for any blockages or tumors in your lungs, your pulmonologist will use quick, noninvasive tests such as:

IU Health Pulmonology & Respiratory Care physicians create personalized treatment plans that may include the following services depending on the cause of your cough:

  • Education. Learning more about your condition allows you to make lifestyle changes that reduce the severity of your cough.
  • Smoking cessation support
  • Prescription medications. Depending on the cause of your cough, prescription medications may manage your symptoms and help you breathe easier.
  • Pulmonary rehabilitation. During pulmonary rehabilitation, you perform breathing and physical exercises that can greatly improve lung function.
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Clinical trials
  • Bullectomy
  • Lung volume reduction surgery. If parts of your lungs become severely damaged, removing them through lung volume reduction surgery can help the healthy tissue in your lungs perform better.
  • Lung transplant. IU Health is the only healthcare system in the state that provides lung transplants. IU Health experts perform lung transplants on the most severe cases of lung disease.

Treatment

IU Health Pulmonology & Respiratory Care physicians create personalized treatment plans that may include the following services depending on the cause of your cough:

  • Education. Learning more about your condition allows you to make lifestyle changes that reduce the severity of your cough.
  • Smoking cessation support
  • Prescription medications. Depending on the cause of your cough, prescription medications may manage your symptoms and help you breathe easier.
  • Pulmonary rehabilitation. During pulmonary rehabilitation, you perform breathing and physical exercises that can greatly improve lung function.
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Clinical trials
  • Bullectomy
  • Lung volume reduction surgery. If parts of your lungs become severely damaged, removing them through lung volume reduction surgery can help the healthy tissue in your lungs perform better.
  • Lung transplant. IU Health is the only healthcare system in the state that provides lung transplants. IU Health experts perform lung transplants on the most severe cases of lung disease.

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Resources