What May Increase Your Risk of Problems From a Cough?
Many conditions, diseases, medicines, and lifestyle choices
interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for
a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be
sure to tell your health professional.
Conditions
- Age younger than 3 months
- Age older
than 60
- Exposure to asbestos
- Living with smokers or
being regularly exposed to secondhand smoke
- Previous surgery to
remove the spleen (splenectomy)
- Recent hospitalization (may
increase your risk for pneumonia)
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal
- Occupational exposure to smoke, dust, or
fumes
- Smoking or other tobacco use
Medicines
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
such as captopril (Capoten), enalapril maleate (Vasotec), or lisinopril
(Prinivil, Zestril, or Zestoretic)
- Corticosteroids, such as
prednisone
- Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
- Medicines used to treat cancer
(chemotherapy)
- Radiation therapy
Diseases
- Chronic upper respiratory illnesses such as
chronic sinusitis, otitis media, or tonsillitis
- Chronic lung
diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD,
emphysema), bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis (TB),
or bronchiectasis
- Diabetes
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD)
- Heart disease, especially heart failure
- History
of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or spontaneous
pneumothorax
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
infection
- Kidney disease
- Liver
disease
- Stroke
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | David Messenger, MD |
| Last Revised | December 21, 2011 |