Chronic cough is defined as a cough that lasts for eight weeks or more. It is highly bothersome and may cause alienation from family and colleagues, prevent the ability to sleep at night, and is considered one of the most common complaints people present to doctors. A cough is considered one of the most common symptoms in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and disappears once the cause is resolved.
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A chronic cough is characterized by often lasting for eight weeks or more, but if the cough hinders a person's ability to carry out their daily activities, they should consult a doctor. This is especially true if the cough is accompanied by phlegm or blood, limits the person's ability to sleep at night, or affects their relationship with their family and those around them.
Symptoms of Chronic Cough
A chronic cough can appear with other accompanying disease symptoms, such as the following:
Nasal congestion, or a runny nose.
A feeling of liquid running down the back of the throat.
Wheezing in the lungs, and shortness of breath.
A feeling of heartburn, accompanied by a bad taste in the mouth.
Coughing accompanied by blood-filled phlegm.
Causes and Risk Factors of Chronic Cough
It is difficult to determine the exact cause of a chronic cough, but there are several potential causes, such as the following:
Secretions in the nasopharynx (Postnasal drip)
There are many glands in the sinuses and throat that secrete saliva (mucus) daily, which works to clean the nasal passages and keep them moist.
Most of the time, these fluids are swallowed involuntarily.
In the event of some disorders, such as allergies, colds, and sinusitis, fluids accumulate so that the patient feels them.
These secretions in the nasopharynx may lead to local irritation and inflammation in the area, causing a persistent cough.
Although it is easy to determine the presence of secretions in the nasopharyngeal area, a chronic cough may sometimes not be accompanied by any other symptoms.
Asthma
Asthma is one of the most common causes of a chronic cough, both in children and adults.
In most cases, the cough is accompanied by wheezing and shortness of breath, and there are some types of asthma where a chronic cough is the only accompanying symptom.
A chronic cough resulting from asthma appears and disappears without any obvious reason, and its severity may worsen in many situations, such as exposure to an upper respiratory tract infection, exposure to very cold air, or certain chemicals.
This type of asthma is usually called airway hyperresponsiveness.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
This disease is linked to the backflow of stomach acids upwards towards the tube that connects the stomach to the oral cavity, which causes permanent irritation to the tissues of the esophagus, throat, and lungs, and consequently a chronic cough.
The patient's reflux may cause heartburn accompanied by a sensation of a bad taste in the mouth, but most people who suffer from a chronic cough as a result of esophageal reflux do not show any other signs of the disease.
Respiratory Tract Infection
A cough may last a long time after other symptoms accompanying a cold, flu, and pneumonia have disappeared, and this is because the infection in the respiratory tract is still active.
Taking Blood Pressure Medications
A chronic cough appears in about 20% of those taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which are prescribed to people suffering from high blood pressure or congestive heart failure.
In most cases, the cough begins a week after starting the medication, and sometimes after about six months.
Although the cough disappears a few days after stopping the medication, it may persist in some cases for a whole month.
Chronic Bronchitis
Bronchitis causes many symptoms, such as lung congestion, shortness of breath, and a chronic cough accompanied by phlegm.
Smokers or former smokers are the people most likely to suffer from bronchitis; therefore, a cough is usually a sign of damage to the lungs and airways.
Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis is one of the serious medical conditions in which an exceptional widening of the airways occurs, affecting the lung's ability to get rid of accumulated phlegm, and the widening is usually preceded by inflammation in the lungs.
Symptoms of bronchiectasis include many things, such as a cough accompanied by phlegm or blood, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
Lung Cancer
There is a small percentage of people who suffer from a chronic cough due to lung cancer, and most of them are smokers or former smokers.
Therefore, it is preferable to visit a doctor in the event of a cough accompanied by bloody phlegm, especially for smokers.
Smoking
The likelihood of developing a chronic cough increases in smokers or former smokers, and continuous exposure to smoke significantly increases the likelihood of infection.
Gender
The severity of a cough in women is stronger than in men, making them more susceptible to a chronic cough.
Complications of Chronic Cough
A chronic cough may cause many complications, such as the following:
Headache.
Dizziness.
Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).
Urinary incontinence.
The appearance of cracks (fractures) in the ribs, especially in women with weak and fragile bones.
Treatment of Chronic Cough
The treatment of a chronic cough is known and clear, generally, if the cause is known. However, if it is not clear, the issue becomes more complex, and the treatment of a chronic cough may include the following:
Antiallergic medications, such as antihistamines and decongestants.
Anti-inflammatory medications, such as corticosteroids.
Antacid medications to treat esophageal reflux.
In cases where the cause of the chronic cough is unknown, it is treated with the help of pain-relieving medications and medications that help open the airways in the lungs.
Prevention of Chronic Cough
A chronic cough can be prevented by avoiding risk factors and triggers as much as possible.