I Can’t Stop Coughing: Should I Have Pulmonary Function Testing?

A cough is one of the most common health symptoms. A lingering chest cold or allergies might cause you to have a cough that sticks around for a while. However, a persistent cough could also indicate something is wrong with your lungs. 

If you have a cough that’s lasted more than a few weeks, it’s time to see a doctor. If you’re approaching the month mark with your cough, come see our team of respiratory condition specialists at Medical Associates Of North Texas in Fort Worth, Texas.

Effectively treating your cough means figuring out what’s causing it. For that, we may recommend pulmonary function testing.

Signs you may benefit from pulmonary function testing

Pulmonary means relating to the lungs. As a result, this type of testing determines how your lungs are working. 

In addition to a cough that lasts longer than three weeks, some other signs that you might benefit from pulmonary function testing include:

• A productive cough (one that brings up mucus)
• Changes in your breathing (shortness of breath, difficulty breathing)
• Persistent fatigue

Here at Medical Associates of North Texas, our team talks with you about any symptoms you’re experiencing, when you first developed the cough, and what it feels like. We also review your medical history. This allows us to recommend the right kind of pulmonary function testing for you. 

What to expect with pulmonary function testing

Spirometry is the most common type of pulmonary function testing, and it’s a painless process that usually takes 15 minutes or less. The only thing you need to do to prepare is avoid smoking or using a quick-relief inhaler for at least six hours beforehand. 

During spirometry, you breathe into a specialized device. Your provider has you exhale as much as you can into the spirometer. We repeat this process to measure how your lungs function, from their capacity to the speed of airflow. 

Tell your provider how you’re feeling through the test. Breathing hard and fast might make you feel dizzy or lightheaded, but we can adjust the test to keep you comfortable. 

This type of pulmonary function testing tells us a lot about your lungs and respiratory health. We can use spirometry to look for several conditions that affect your lungs and can cause coughing, including:

• Asthma 
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Pulmonary fibrosis

In short, if you’ve had a persistent cough, pulmonary function testing can be a valuable tool in figuring out what’s to blame. To schedule your test, send us a message online or call our office at 972-433-7178 today.