LUNGS The first step to feeling better? Figuring out what's going on. What's Causing Your COUGH? Tune into your symptoms to find out what's to blame Your cough keeps you up at night. Or it flares when you exercise. Maybe it just won't ease up. Here are some clues that can 20 W IN TER 2019 IS MY COUGH WORSE AT NIGHT? A cough that's worse when you're in bed could be triggered by stomach acid. Some people have a weakness in their lower PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES help tease out the cause of your cough so you can get relief. First, think beyond the lungs. "A cough is a sign of inflammation somewhere in the airway," says Albert A. Rizzo, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. "That includes the sinuses and nasal passages as well as the windpipe and bronchial tubes." Ask yourself these questions: