Pay close attention to persistent coughs

<p>Coughs come and go, but don't take those that persist lightly. A cough that won't go away could be the first sign of serious disease.</p><p>Before you panic, remember there are many triggers for a continuing cough. It could be post-nasal drip from allergies, it could be airways irritated from a recent cold virus, it could be asthma, or it could be from gastrointestinal reflux that doesn't burn - it just causes you to cough. But sometimes a nagging cough is a sign that should be taken seriously. The mixed message here is that a cough can be a function of the body's healing process, or it can be a harbinger of grave illness. The smart way to handle a simple cough is to give it some time to resolve on its own, but if it is still there after a couple of weeks, see your doctor for a closer look.</p><p>The worst-case scenario for a persistent cough is lung cancer, which kills more Americans than any other kind of cancer. This disease bears the onus of being perceived as "the patient's own fault." It's harder to be sympathetic with someone who smoked themselves sick. But lung cancer doesn't just strike smokers or former smokers.</p><p>The incidence of lung cancer among people who have never smoked is rising, especially for the baby boomer generation. About 15 percent of patients diagnosed with lung cancer each year have never smoked. There are several theories about this disturbing statistic.</p><p>Baby boomers are starting to show the effects of exposure to secondhand smoke from their parents' generation. Based on 2002 statistics, people ages 45-64 are 10 times more likely to get lung cancer than those ages 35 to 44. And cigarette smoke is not the only risk. Radon is an odorless naturally occurring gas, a carcinogen that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths. Asbestos workers are seven times more likely to die of lung cancer. Genetics also play a part; recently scientists found that the susceptibility to lung cancer might reside on a particular chromosome (chromosome 6).</p><p>We can blame active and passive smoke, we can blame a toxic environment, or we can blame genetics, but what we really need to do is decrease our exposure to known risk factors and diagnose lung cancer as early as possible.</p><p>What can an individual do? First, be aware and minimize your risk factors. If you smoke, quit. If you ever smoked in your life, know that your risk is still slightly higher than a never-smoker. Be aware of your risk from exposure to secondhand smoke, to radon and other carcinogenic pollutants. And if someone in your family has had lung cancer, know your risk may be greater because of your genetics.</p><p>Lung cancer is often found too late to be treated effectively. The survival rate is only 2 percent among patients whose cancer has already spread to other parts of their body by the time they are diagnosed; unfortunately, about 75 percent of patients fall in this category. The good news is, in patients whose cancer is found before it has metastasized, the survival rate is 65 percent.</p><p>If you have any of the common symptoms of early lung cancer, see your doctor. These include a persistent cough, shortness of breath, hoarseness and chest pain. (A more complete list can be found at www.the-doctors-inn.com/lungs.htm.) Ask your doctor for a chest X-ray. If it is normal, you probably do not have lung cancer. But if symptoms persist and the X-ray is questionable, a CT scan or other tests may be ordered.</p><p>Coughs that persist are not normal; your body is trying to tell you something. Know your risk factors and get the care you need. Listening to your own cough may save your life.</p>