Symptoms and treatment of Chronic cough

Description

Chronic cough is a cough that lasts eight weeks or longer in adults, or four weeks in children. Chronic cough is more than annoying. It can disrupt sleep and make you feel very tired. Severe cases of chronic cough can cause vomiting, and dizziness, and even crack a rib.

The most common causes are tobacco use, and asthma. Other common causes include fluid dripping from the nose to the back of the throat, called postnasal drip, and reflux of stomach acid into the tube that connects the throat with the stomach, it is called acid reflux. Fortunately, the chronic cough usually goes away once the underlying problem is treated.

Symptoms

A chronic cough can occur with other symptoms, such as:

A runny or stuffy nose.
A feeling of liquid running down the back of your throat, also known as postnasal drip.
Clearing your throat a lot.
The sore throat.
The hoarseness.
Wheezing and difficulty breathing.
Heartburn or a sour taste in your mouth.
In rare cases, coughing up blood.

When to see a doctor

Consult your health care professional if you have a cough that lasts for weeks, especially one that brings up sputum or blood, which disrupts sleep, or affects to school or work.

Causes

A cough that occurs once in a while is common. Helps clear irritants and mucus from the lungs and prevents infection. But a cough that lasts for weeks is usually due to a health problem. Many times, more of a concern for the health of the causes of the cough.

The majority of the cases of chronic cough are due to these causes, which can occur alone or in combination:

The postnasal drip. When the nose or the sinuses produce an excess of mucus can drip down the back of your throat and cause coughing. This condition is also called cough syndrome of upper airway.
Asthma. An asthma-related cough can appear and disappear with the seasons. May occur after an upper respiratory tract infection. Or you can get worse when you're exposed to cold air or certain chemicals or fragrances. In a type of asthma that is known as cough variant asthma, cough is the main symptom.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease. In this common condition, also called GERD, stomach acid flows back into the tube that connects the stomach and the throat. This tube is also known as the esophagus. The constant irritation can lead to chronic cough. Then, the cough can make GERD worse, creating a vicious circle.
Infections. The cough can last for a long time after other symptoms of pneumonia, the flu, a cold or other infection of the upper respiratory tract is gone. A common cause of chronic cough in adults — but one that is often not recognized — is the whooping cough, also known as whooping cough. Chronic cough can also occur with fungal infections in the lung, as well as the infection of tuberculosis, also called TB, and pulmonary infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria, also called NTM. NTM are found in soil, water, and dust.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Also called COPD , this is a life of inflammatory disease of the lungs that restricts the flow of air from the lungs. COPD includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic bronchitis can cause a cough that brings up the color of the sputum. Emphysema causes of shortness of breath, and the damage to the air sacs in the lungs, also known as alveoli. Most people with COPD are current or ex-smokers.
Blood pressure drugs. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, also called ACE inhibitors, which are commonly prescribed for high blood pressure and heart failure, are known to cause chronic cough in some people.

Less commonly, chronic cough can be caused by:

Aspiration — when food or other items, swallowed or inhaled and pass to the lungs.
Bronchiectasis expanded and damaged airways, which gradually lose their ability to clear mucus.
Bronchiolitis — an infection that causes inflammation, irritation and accumulation of mucus in the small airways of the lung.
Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that affects the lungs, digestive system and other organs.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis — progressive damage and scarring of the lungs due to a cause that is not known.
Lung cancer — cancer that begins in the lungs, including non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.
Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis — when the airways are inflamed but asthma is not the cause.
Sarcoidosis — groups of the inflammation of the cells that form lumps or nodules in different parts of the body, but most frequently in the lungs.

Risk factors

Be a current or former smoker is one of the major risk factors for chronic cough. Exposure to a large amount of second-hand smoke can also lead to coughing and lung damage.

Complications

Have a cough that won't stop it can be very tiring. The coughing can cause a variety of problems, including:

The interruption of sleep.
The pain of a headache.
The dizziness.
Vomiting.
Sweating a lot.
Involuntary bladder loss, also known as urinary incontinence.
Broken ribs.
Step, also known as syncope.

Diagnosis

Your healthcare provider will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. A complete medical history and a physical examination can give important clues about a chronic cough. Your healthcare provider may also order tests to find the cause of the chronic cough.

But many health care professionals can start treatment for one of the most common causes of chronic cough rather than ordering expensive tests. If the treatment does not work, you can be tested for less common causes.

Imaging tests

The x-rays. Although a routine chest X-ray does not reveal the most common reasons for coughing — post-nasal drip, acid reflux, consumption of tobacco or asthma may be used to check for lung cancer, pneumonia and other lung diseases. An x-ray of the sinuses may reveal evidence of a sinus infection.
Computerized tomography scans. These analyses also called computed tomography. Can be used to check your lungs, for conditions that can cause a chronic cough or sinus cavities of foci of infection.

Pulmonary function tests

These simple, non-invasive tests, such as spirometry, are used to diagnose asthma and COPD . Measure the amount of air that the lungs can hold and how quickly you can exhale.

Your health care professional may request a asthma challenge test. This test checks how well you can breathe before and after inhalation of the drug methacholine (Provocholine).

Laboratory tests

If the mucus when coughing is of color, your health care professional may want to try a sample of that for the bacteria.

Scope of application of the tests

If your health care professional can not find the cause of your cough, in particular the scope of testing can be used to identify possible causes. These tests may include:

The bronchoscopy. A bronchoscope is a thin, flexible tube that has a light and a camera attached to it. Your health care professional can see it in their lungs and airways. A biopsy may also be taken from the inside lining of the airways, also known as the mucosa, to look for anything unusual. A biopsy is a procedure to remove a sample of tissue for testing in a lab.
Rhinoscopy. The use of an endoscope, fiber optics, also known as a rhinoscope, your healthcare provider can see your nasal passages, sinuses and upper respiratory tract.

Children

A chest x-ray and spirometry, as a minimum, are usually ordered to find the cause of chronic cough in children.

Treatment

Find out what is the cause of the chronic cough is very important for an effective treatment. In many cases, more than one underlying condition may be the cause of your chronic cough.

If you smoke, your health care professional will probably talk with you about your willingness to stop smoking and give you tips on how to achieve this goal. If you are taking an ACE-inhibitor of the medication, your healthcare provider may switch you to another medication that does not have a cough as a side effect.

Medications used to treat chronic cough may include:

Antihistamines, corticosteroids, and antihistamines, decongestants. These drugs are the standard treatment for allergies and postnasal drip.
Inhaled asthma medications. The most effective treatments for asthma-related cough are corticosteroids and bronchodilators. Reduce inflammation and open the airways.
Antibiotics. If a bacterial, fungal or mycobacterial infection is the cause of your chronic cough, your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotics for the infection.
Acid blockers. When lifestyle changes do not take care of acid reflux can be treated with drugs that block the production of acid. Some people need surgery to resolve the problem.

Medicine to reduce coughing

Your health care professional working to find the cause of the cough, and the best treatment for you. During this time, your healthcare provider may also prescribe a medication to reduce coughing, called a cough suppressant. Cough suppressants are not recommended for children.

Cough and cold medicines available without a prescription in the treatment of the symptoms of coughs and colds — not the underlying disease. The research suggests that these drugs do not work better than any medicine. These medications are not recommended for children due to potentially serious side effects, including overdose deaths in children under 2 years of age.

Do not use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, except for antipyretics and analgesics, and to treat coughs and colds in children under 6 years of age. Also, avoid the use of these medicines to children under 12 years of age. Consult with your healthcare professional for guidance.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Following the plan of your health care professional gives for the treatment of the cause of the cough. In the meantime, you can try these tips to relieve your cough:

Drink fluids. The liquid helps thin the mucus in the throat. Hot liquids, such as broth, tea, or juice, you can calm down your throat.
Suck on cough drops or hard candy. You can ease a dry cough and soothe an irritated throat.
Consider the possibility of taking the honey. A teaspoon of honey can help to loosen the cough. Do not give honey to children under 1 year of age. Honey can contain bacteria harmful to children.
Moisten the air. Use a cool-mist humidifier or take a steam shower.
Avoid tobacco smoke. Smoking or breathing in the tobacco smoke irritates the lungs and can worsen the cough. If you smoke, talk with your healthcare provider about programs and products that can help you stop smoking.

Preparing for your appointment

You can see your family health care professional in the first place. But you may need to see a doctor who specializes in lung disorders. This health professional is known as a pulmonologist.

What you can do

Before your appointment, make a list that includes:

Detailed descriptions of your symptoms.
The information about the medical problems you have had.
Information about the health problems of your parents or siblings.
All medicines, including those available without a prescription, vitamins, herbal preparations, and dietary supplements that you take.
Their history of smoking.
Questions you want to ask to the professional of the health.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care professional may ask some of these questions:

What are the symptoms and when they started?
Did you recently have the flu or a cold?
Do you smoke tobacco or have you ever smoked tobacco?
Does anyone in your family or in the workplace of smoke?
You are exposed to dust or chemicals in the home or at work?
Do you have heartburn?
Do you cough anything? If so, what do you think?
Do you take medications for blood pressure? If so, what type do you take?
When does your cough occur?
Does anything relieve the cough? What treatments have you tried?
Do you have difficulty breathing or wheezing when you move around or when exposed to cold air?
What is your travel history?

Your health professional will ask more questions based on your responses, symptoms, and needs. Preparation questions will help you make the most of your time.