Development of a sudden and uncontrollable paroxysm of cough in an otherwise healthy person should suggest the possibility of an aspirated foreign body. This occurs in bilateral adductor paralysis of the vocal cords.

In asthma cough and dyspnea tend to recur regularly at night. Pharyngitis, laryngitis, tracheitis and dick stages of bronchitis give rise to cough without expectoration. Cough with or without expectoration, chest pain, dyspnea and hemoptysis are the most frequent respiratory symptoms. Cough elicited by change of posture (Postural Cough) is characteristic of bronchiectasis, lung abscess, and bronchopleural fistula, "Bovine Cough" or "gander Cough" is the term used to denote cough devoid of its explosive (tussive) phase. In some infections like Bordetella pertussis and Klebsiella, paroxysms of cough are follo by a long inspiratory whoop caused by laryngeal spasm. Cough with expectoration is a prominent symptom in inflammatory lesions such as bronchitis and pneumonia or in irritative and allergic lesions of the respiratory tract. In left sided heart failure with pulmonary edema, cough occurs in the recumbent posture.

Cough is generally a protective reflex designed to keep the airway patent and clear the exudates..