Most of the population consider cough as a sign of disease and want to get rid of it as soon as possible but one of the important things to know about cough is that it acts as a PROTECTIVE MECHANISM  and if the cough reflex is absent then we will be at risk of retained secretions of the lungs which can lead to infections frequently. 

If a cough persists for a longer duration then it can cause problems to the person such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, inguinal hernia, and difficulty in talking. 

1) ACUTE COUGH- Cough of less than 3 weeks. 

2) SUBACUTE COUGH – When the duration of the cough is between 3 to 8 weeks. 

3) CHRONIC COUGH – More than 8 weeks of cough is termed a chronic cough. 

It can be due to various cardiac and pulmonary diseases which include infections, inflammation, and neoplasm (cancer). 

1) Cough due to asthma 

2) Gastritis ( gastroesophageal reflux disease) 

3) Medicine – Hypertensive medicine belonging to the ACE inhibitors group can cause chronic cough. 

4) Smokers – people who smoke for a long time can suffer from chronic cough, especially in the morning time. 

5) Pollution – Constant and long-term exposure to pollution and dust or working in a polluted environment can cause constant coughing for a long time.

 

1) Patients should always observe what makes their cough worse and what improves the cough.

 

2) Cold air often worsens cough in asthma patients. 

3) The auditory canal of the patient should be examined by the doctor as the patient can get a chronic cough due to the irritation of the Arnold nerve. 

4) Nasal passage should be examined too as polyps in the nose can also lead to cough. 

5) Patients suffering from diseases like sarcoidosis, lung cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, and pulmonary tuberculosis can also present with chronic cough. 

6) Eosinophilic bronchitis can cause chronic cough which can be confirmed by the presence of eosinophil more than 3 % in sputum. 

1) Avoid working in a polluted environment. 

2) Always wear a mask when you are going out if you have a dust allergy. 

3) Asthma patients should be extra careful in cold environments as cold air increases the chances of coughing. 

4) Hypertensive medicine can cause coughing so always take medicines which are prescribed by your doctor and inform the doctor if you get coughing after taking any medicine. 

5) Don’t eat heavy and oily dinner as it can lead to gastritis which can cause coughing. 

A cough that is more than 8 weeks in duration is termed a chronic cough and a patient presenting with a cough for a long duration should be examined extensively with proper history talking to determine the cause of coughing and diagnosis should be confirmed with physical findings and investigation and then proper treatment should be given to the patient to improve the coughing problem. 

Don’t take self-medication for coughing as it can worsen the disease.