The pulmonologist of the Hospiten Bellevue University Hospital and Hospiten Tamaragua, in Tenerife, Dr. Belén Montero Fole, advises to make an appointment with a specialist when the cough lasts more than eight weeks "and hinders the performance of daily tasks."
As she explains, "chronic cough can be understood as a pathology in itself and not as a symptom of others, so it may require specific treatment," and she recalls that it can be classified "from acute to chronic according to its duration, which can range from three to eight weeks."
Montero Fole details that chronic cough affects approximately between five and ten percent of the adult population worldwide and constitutes one of the main reasons for consultation in Pulmonology Services. In this context, she emphasizes that its diagnostic approach "must evaluate the patient's usual medication and other pathologies that may arise from this disease, such as upper respiratory tract cough syndrome, asthma, eosinophilic bronchitis, or gastroesophageal reflux."
The specialist indicates that many people come in worried about the possibility that the cough is a sign of lung cancer. However, she points out that less than 2 percent of cases end up receiving a positive diagnosis of this pathology and that "the vast majority of cases are explained by much more common and treatable causes." Still, she recalls that "at the time of receiving a cancer diagnosis, between 65 and 70 percent of patients present with a cough."
In any case, she insists on the importance of consulting a healthcare professional early if the cough is accompanied by blood-stained sputum, weight loss, persistent fever, or difficulty breathing. In these situations, she emphasizes that it is necessary to see a doctor "as soon as these symptoms arise" and recommends "avoiding prolonged self-medication with cough syrups."