Cough Workup: What Doctors Check and Why It Matters

When a cough won’t go away, it’s not just annoying—it’s a signal. A cough workup, a systematic medical process to identify the root cause of a persistent cough. Also known as respiratory evaluation, it’s how doctors move past guessing and start solving the problem. Most people think a cough is just a cold or allergies, but if it lasts more than 3 weeks, it’s not normal. That’s when a proper cough workup kicks in.

Doctors don’t just listen to your chest. They look at the cough workup as a puzzle. Is it dry or wet? Does it happen at night? Did it start after a cold, or out of nowhere? They check for things like postnasal drip, asthma, acid reflux, or even side effects from blood pressure meds. These aren’t random guesses—they’re common patterns backed by years of clinical data. For example, up to 90% of chronic coughs are caused by just three things: postnasal drip, asthma, or GERD. If your cough started after switching to lisinopril, that’s a red flag. If it’s worse after eating or lying down, reflux might be the culprit. And if you’re a smoker with a cough that won’t quit, lung issues need to be ruled out fast.

Some people wait months before seeing a doctor, thinking it’ll clear up. But a cough that sticks around can hide serious conditions like bronchitis, pneumonia, or even early-stage lung disease. A proper workup includes basic tests like chest X-rays, lung function tests, or even a trial of asthma meds to see if symptoms improve. It’s not about running every test under the sun—it’s about smart, targeted steps. And it’s not just for older adults. Kids with persistent coughs, athletes with exercise-triggered coughs, and even people on certain medications all need the same careful approach.

What you’ll find in the articles below isn’t just theory. These are real-world guides on how medications, lifestyle, and underlying conditions connect to coughs. From how antibiotics can sometimes make a cough worse, to how acid reflux meds help more than people realize, to why certain drugs like beta-blockers or ACE inhibitors trigger coughs—you’ll see how the pieces fit. You’ll learn what to ask your doctor, what tests actually matter, and what’s just noise. No fluff. No guesswork. Just clear, practical info that helps you understand your cough and get to the right treatment faster.