Upper Airway FAQ

Due to the many possible contributing factors to a cough, we may not be the best providers for your specific needs. We recommend asking your primary care provider, who may direct you to pulmonology, gastroenterology, a swallowing specialist, or another provider better suited to support you initially. These providers may, in turn, refer you to our office.

We generally provide treatment for nonproductive and chronic cough (lasting more than 8 weeks).

A cough is considered chronic when it lasts more than 8 weeks without a clear cause (e.g., acute illness, aspiration).

Cough suppression therapy is a set of strategies to reduce the frequency and severity of coughing. Your specialized speech-language pathologist will begin with training you to be more aware of the sensations of an oncoming cough. Then, several techniques can be used to satisfy the urge to cough without coughing. Relaxation of the throat, breathing exercises, and vocal wellness principles, such as hydration, are also used.

If outside of the UPMC system, please bring relevant medical records and imaging (e.g., lung function tests, chest x-rays).

If you have a chronic cough or breathing difficulty that comes and goes, we highly recommend reflecting on your triggers. In what settings do you have worse symptoms? Does this occur with exposure to any odor or irritant? Is it worse after meals, or at a certain time of day? This information is helpful in our diagnosis and treatment of your problem.