Track your coughs
Whether it's a dry tickle or a productive cough, the frequency and timing of coughing fits can indicate everything from asthma to post-nasal drip or more serious respiratory conditions.
Why track this symptom?
- Identify if your cough worsens at night or after physical activity.
- Track the impact of environmental factors like dust, smoke, or cold air.
- Monitor how long a 'lingering' cough persists after an acute illness.
How Trace Health helps
Trace Health's timeline view is essential for tracking coughs. It allows you to see the exact frequency of fits throughout the day, providing far more detail than memory alone during a doctor's visit.
Common causes
Coughs commonly develop from viral upper respiratory infections, causing initial dry irritation that may become productive as the body clears mucus. Post-nasal drip from allergies or sinus problems creates persistent throat clearing and coughing, especially when lying down. Asthma triggers like exercise, cold air, or allergens cause characteristic dry coughing with possible wheezing. Gastroesophageal reflux can cause chronic cough as stomach acid irritates the throat, particularly at night.
When to see a doctor
Seek immediate care if coughing produces blood, or if you develop severe shortness of breath, chest pain, or high fever with cough. Get medical attention for any cough lasting longer than three weeks, as this may indicate underlying conditions requiring investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I track about my cough?
Log whether the cough is dry or productive, severity, time of day it is worst, triggers like cold air or exercise, any mucus color, associated symptoms like wheezing or chest pain, and duration of the current episode.
How does cough tracking help my doctor?
A cough lasting over 3 weeks has different causes than acute cough. Your log showing timing, type, and triggers helps distinguish between asthma, post-nasal drip, acid reflux, and infections, leading to more targeted treatment.
When should I see a doctor about a cough?
See a doctor if cough lasts longer than 3 weeks, produces blood or discolored mucus, is accompanied by shortness of breath or chest pain, or if you have unexplained weight loss. Night-time coughing that disrupts sleep also warrants evaluation.
How should I track coughing fits versus occasional single coughs?
Log both patterns but distinguish between prolonged coughing episodes and isolated coughs throughout the day. Rate the intensity of fits and count approximate coughs per episode when possible. Note what stops a coughing fit versus single coughs, as this information helps identify the underlying cause and most effective treatments.
What cough timing patterns are most important to show my doctor?
Highlight whether coughing is worse at specific times like bedtime, early morning, or after meals, as this suggests different causes. Show patterns related to position changes, like coughing when lying down indicating post-nasal drip or reflux. Exercise-induced coughing patterns are particularly important for identifying asthma or other respiratory conditions requiring specific treatment approaches.
Your health data stays on your iPhone.
No account. Private. No personal information is ever requested. Your health data stays on your iPhone by default. A backup option to your private iCloud is available. Trace Health never collects or sells your health data.
What people say
Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 45+ ratings on the App Store.
- “Finally an app in which I can collect and analyse all my symptoms. And that reminds me to log them.” (sunsoul01, Austria)
- “Ok so I try so hard to track symptoms but apple health doesn’t have a widget for that and it’s kind of a pain to track down every little thing… Now this app!!!! Everything is right there, there’s widgets, it’s fast and simple and syncs! I freaking love this app! I’m still playing with it so I haven’t seen if it has a “how are you feeling right now” feature but it is everything I have ever wanted the symptoms on health to be!” (grofica82, United States)
Read the complete guide: How to Track Cough: A Complete Guide →