differential diagnosis for cough?
341081
I believe you are asking for a diagnosis out of the norm for a cough.  Look at the following links.  Maybe it is caused by a parasite or a fungus.
106682
A cough lasting three or more weeks that may produce discolored or bloody sputum \nUnintended weight loss \nFatigue \nSlight fever \nNight sweets\nChills\nLoss of appetite\nPain with breating or coughing
1056986
Maybe you should try going to see a lung specialist or a stomach doctor.\n I would definitely check lung though
119421
I would be very skeptical of someone discovering CF at such a relatively late age.  The disease almost smacks you in the face very early in life, and there are no mild forms to my knowledge.  I'm not sure what your doctor noticed to steer him towards CF, but if he's really serious, there is a chloride sweat test that can be done to rule it out.  Also, if you have no family history of CF, I would refrain from worrying about it.  Bronchiectasis can be associated with so many things.  Consider being tested for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.  I know it's a mouthful, but it's a highly under-diagnosed condition affecting the lungs.  Good luck to you :)
700471
I AM NOT A DOCTOR, but I did have, had the same systems a year ago.  I thought I was having chest pains and panicked.  Went to the ER, after my trying to explain the pain, (different country) and after an eternity found it was not my chest, but my lungs, I had an ammonia, (walking)  After a couple of days looking back since I am an older person, and if anyone has that little tickle (cough) in their throat check it out. Also dander from pets. Sorry pet lovers I have birds, dogs, cats, the list goes on because I live in the country..\n\nI also felt something different for at least a couple of months, but did not think anything of it, just a tickle in my throat\n\nHonestly I thought it was chest pains, but turned out to be my lungs.  Because I described where the pain was the doc's where checking out the heart, took like eons for them to know it was the lungs. Once x-rays and everything came back they started treatment, am grateful to be alive now.
596806
Sounds like she should get checked by a doctor first.\n\nSteam is good for a cough and helps to get phlem up of the chest. If you have a vapouriser put it in the room. If not, a bowl of hot water; get her to sit with her face over the bowl so that she can breath in the steam for a few minutes with a towel over her head. BE VERY CAREFUL SHE DOES NOT TIP THE WATER OVER.
543146
Potentially yes, potentially no.\n\nYou would have to go and see a doctor to get tests run to get a proper diagnosis.
947764
Your symptoms you describe could apply to several different things.  You should really see a doctor in person for an exam and possible labs or chest x-ray.  \n\nA lot of these things can depend on your age.  If you are 20 years old, it might be something simple that can easily be fixed with antibiotics.\n\nIf you are older, it might be symptoms of a potential chronic disease.\n\nSince your symptoms listed could potentially apply to numerous different things, I wouldn't even try to hazard a guess over the Internet.  See your doctor.\n\nI am not a doctor.  I am a nurse.\nGood Luck to you!\nRobin
554288
you can try to diagnosis yourself by going to http://www.webmd.com/\n\nOr some times your Dr. will ansew quetions threw e-mail. but I think it's best to see a dr. in person no matter what.
140632
Your situation sounds like allergies.  If that is indeed what it is, you could probably get some relief with antihistamines.  See a doctor for a prescription.  If you want to try something yourself first, try Alavert over the counter.  The mucus is probably drainage from your sinuses.  That could also explain the coughing.
873854
do you mean pneumonia?  congestion, hard to breathe, fever, get to a doctor
1021382
Diagnosing Lung Cancer\n\nTo help find the cause of symptoms, the doctor evaluates a person's medical history, smoking history, exposure to environmental and occupational substances, and family history of cancer. The doctor also performs a physical exam and may order a chest x-ray and other tests. If lung cancer is suspected, sputum cytology (the microscopic examination of cells obtained from a deep-cough sample of mucus in the lungs) is a simple test that may be useful in detecting lung cancer. To confirm the presence of lung cancer, the doctor must examine tissue from the lung. A biopsy -- the removal of a small sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist -- can show whether a person has cancer. A number of procedures may be used to obtain this tissue: \n\nBronchoscopy. The doctor puts a bronchoscope (a thin, lighted tube) into the mouth or nose and down through the windpipe to look into the breathing passages. Through this tube, the doctor can collect cells or small samples of tissue.\n\nNeedle aspiration. A needle is inserted through the chest into the tumor to remove a sample of tissue.\n\nThoracentesis. Using a needle, the doctor removes a sample of the fluid that surrounds the lungs to check for cancer cells.\n\nThoracotomy. Surgery to open the chest is sometimes needed to diagnose lung cancer. This procedure is a major operation performed in a hospital.\n\n \n ..........Lung cancer is difficult to detect early because symptoms usually do not appear until the disease is advanced. Symptoms depend on the location of the tumor and can include persistent cough, hoarseness or wheezing, shortness of breath, sputum streaked with blood, recurring bronchitis or pneumonia, weight loss and loss of appetite, and chest pain. \n\nPhysicians use several techniques to diagnose lung cancer, including the following:\n\nImaging Tests\nChest x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) help locate abnormal areas in the lung. \n\nLow-Dose Helical CT\nA technique called low-dose helical (or spiral) CT may offer a novel approach for diagnosing lung cancer by exposing the patient to less radiation than a conventional chest CT scan while allowing the doctor to see areas of the chest normally obscured in a standard x-ray. Memorial Sloan-Kettering is now studying the effectiveness of low-dose helical CT in a clinical trial. Outside of New York, the National Cancer Institute has begun a multi-center study of the technology.\n\nCombined PET/CT Scans\nMemorial Sloan-Kettering's radiology department includes the best combined PET/CT imaging technology available in the United States. This is particularly important in imaging lung cancer, which can be difficult to identify on a regular CT. To address this situation, a PET (positron emission tomography) scan, which picks up the metabolic signal of actively growing cancer cells in the body, is run simultaneously with the CT scan. This improved imaging capability provides for superior treatment planning because the details of the tumor are better defined. \n\nBronchoscopy & Biopsies\nA sputum sample can be analyzed for the presence of cancerous cells. Doctors may perform a bronchoscopy, which allows them to examine the bronchial passages using an instrument called a bronchoscope. This is a small tube that is inserted through the nose or mouth, down the throat and into the bronchi. During the procedure physicians may remove some tissue for analysis. \n\nA modified form of bronchoscopy called autofluorescence bronchoscopy, which can detect early invasive cancers not seen with standard x-rays or white-light bronchoscopy, is being used to detect very early lung cancer. \n\nTo examine areas of the lungs that are not accessible during a bronchoscopy, physicians may perform a needle biopsy ("fine needle aspiration" or FNA) to remove a small sample of tissue for analysis.
993083
An ongoing cough is usually a sign of an underlying illness. If you've had this cough for more than 2 weeks, you should see a doctor. It's possible you have asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, or any number of other illnesses.
727626
it could be a number of things. i would go to the Dr. and have him check you out. do you smoke? if so and sometimes even if you don't it could be bronchitis. i know when i have bronchitis my cough really smells bad cause of the infection in my lungs, so i would go to the Dr. and let him check you out. or go to http://www.webmd.com/ you might get answers there.
268781
Go see a doctor...\nTry to see if the bleeding comes from ur mouth, from the back of ur throat or deeper.  That will help the doctor with the diagnosis.  Also, tell him when and how it happens, and if ur coughing, feelin ill to ur stomach, chest pain or problems breathing.
979492
any cough lasting more than a few days requires the doctor...could be something very serious...go to the doctors...let him check you out...
353397
go get a chest ct, my father inlaw has had teh same symptoms, and its lung ca