Coughing Could Be a Sign of a Serious Issue

People are hearing more coughing this time of year. So, how do we know when a cough is concerning?

Albert J. Polito, M.D.—chair of Mercy Medical Center’s department of medicine, chief of Mercy’s division of pulmonary medicine, and medical director for The Lung Center at Mercy—explained the signs that could mean a cough is something more serious, particularly because respiratory illnesses thrive this time of the year.

“Cough is one of the most common symptoms for any lung condition, cough and shortness of breath. So, lots of things cause cough. People get bronchitis. They get a cold. These are the most common things to [cause] it. Cough that sort of persists for a little bit can be acid reflux. Could be asthma or COPD. Can even be a post-seasonal drip like allergies,” Dr. Polito said.

A cough may be from dry air or a cold, but don’t ignore it in the long-term.

“Always pay attention to the cough. Many smokers will have what they call a smoker’s cough, that junky-sounding thing that goes on for a while. If there's a change in the quality, or if it’s a new onset cough, that's when you really should pay attention,” Dr. Polito said.

That’s exactly what happened to Agnetta Gaines, 77, of Catonsville.

“I… couldn’t catch my breath, I couldn’t breathe. I thought I was dying,” Gaines said.

According to Gaines, she started smoking at age 21 and has asthma, but she said her cough felt like nothing she had ever felt before.

As it turns out, it was lung cancer.

“So, when I came down to [get] the X-ray, [they found] a mass on my lung," Gaines said.

That’s when she connected with Dr. Polito and looked into her options.

“I did my treatments, my cancer treatments. I have… two-and-a-half years cancer-free as of October 16. I took my port out. So, I’m doing OK,” Gaines said.

According to Dr. Polito, preventative measures provide the best chance of having a positive outcome.

“If you’re 50 or older [and] have a history of smoking, you should talk to your doctor about getting a screening, which is a low-dose CT scan, and it gets done annually,” Dr. Polito said. “It really can pick up early-stage lung cancer. That’s what screening is all about, early stage, so you can cure it.”

View Mercy pulmonary medicine expert Dr. Albert J. Polito’s interview regarding cough and lung disease, such as lung cancer.