Carol Smith Hammond, PhD

Cough can be a sign of aspiration in patients with dysphagia. Therefore, in evaluating patients with cough, the history should include a search for conditions associated with increased risk of impaired swallowing. These include conditions that require oropharyngeal suctioning, acute and degenerative neurological diseases (such as stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS], and head trauma), cervical or brain surgery, head and neck cancer, and use of sedatives.1