Is your cough chronic? If your cough lasts longer than usual without any improvement, chances are that you’ve developed a chronic cough. It can be caused by many factors, most of which are treatable. However, if left untreated, it can lead to severe complications that affect your life quality. Learn what causes chronic cough and treatment options in this article. Contact the best pulmonologist in Brooklyn by visiting Doral Health and Wellness Pulmonary Center.

Causes

Many factors cause a chronic cough. The most common ones are:

• Asthma, especially cough-variant asthma, mostly causes chronic cough as its main symptom.
• Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• Upper Airway cough syndrome, which is sometimes even related to postnasal drip.
• Non asthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, that causes inflammation in your airways.
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are medications used to treat high blood pressure.
• Environmental triggers like dust or animal dander.
• Bacterial bronchitis, especially in children.

Other causes include:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Bronchospasm occurs after lung infections like pneumonia.
• Whooping cough.
• Inhaling a foreign object.

Rarer causes for a chronic cough include:

• Bronchiolitis is an inflection that causes inflammation of the bronchioles (tiny air passages in the lungs).
• Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that damages the lungs and other organs by causing thick secretions.
• Interstitial lung disease occurs when scarring happens to lung tissue.
• Heart failure
• Lung cancer
• Sarcoidosis is a cluster of inflamed cells, called granulomas, that form in the lungs and other parts of the body.

Symptoms

Besides cough, you may experience other symptoms as well, depending on the cause. Common symptoms that often happen with chronic cough include:

• Hoarse voice.
• Postnasal drip (feeling that liquid is dripping down the back of your throat).
• Runny nose.
• Sore throat.
• Stuffed nose.
• Shortness of breath.

More severe symptoms are rare, however, if you experience any of the following, then you should call a doctor.

• Become dizzy or faint
• Cough up blood
• Have night sweats
• Running a high fever
• Trouble breathing or getting enough air
• Lose weight without any reason
• Persistent chest pain

Complications

Chronic coughing can affect your life in negative ways as it disrupts your sleep cycle or increases the risk of accidents or injury because you’re less alert and slow to respond to situations. Other complications include:

• Headaches: The tension created in your body due to cough can cause headaches. Soft tissues including muscles, blood vessels, and nerves may be involved during cough which leads to headaches.
• Dizziness: The constant jolting movements that occur during cough can disturb the balance organs of the inner ear. These effects are not severe but can make you nauseous and vomit.
• Fainting: Your cough may interfere with blood flow so that it causes syncope spells, which is also known as fainting, particularly if you have a chronic cough.
• Fractured ribs: The chest contractions associated with a chronic cough may cause enough force to break or crack the ribcage bones.
• Hernia: The strain of coughing can lead to inguinal or femoral hernias when an internal organ protrudes through a muscle wall.
• Subconjunctival hemorrhage: Chronic coughing may damage the membrane that covers the white area of the eyes, which is filled with tiny blood vessels. This creates minor bleeding that gives your eyes a bloody appearance. However, it’s not a serious problem.
• Urinary incontinence: Spasms of the abdominal muscles during coughing may lead to contractions of muscles controlling the bladder leading to urinary incontinence. Women after menopause or pregnancy, sometimes have issues with urinary incontinence, which is aggravated by chronic coughing.

Other complications like anxiety and depression can also happen with chronic cough, so the best course of action is to seek treatment, to treat its underlying cause.

Treatment

Chronic cough treatment depends on the associated health condition. Your doctor creates a treatment plan based on your unique needs. Generally, chronic cough treatments may include:

• Decongestants to relieve postnasal drip.
• Nasal sprays to improve symptoms like runny nose and other allergy symptoms.
• Steroids or inhaled bronchodilators to manage asthma-induced airway inflammation.
• Antibiotics for bacterial infections that affect lung function like bacterial pneumonia, sinusitis, or bronchitis.
• Changing certain medications or dosages. Keep in mind, never stop taking medication without discussing it with your doctor.
• Avoid certain foods that lower the risk of GERD.

You can also use some home remedies to relieve the chronic cough, including:

• Drink plenty of water at least 8 glasses a day and increase your water intake during hot weather or intense workouts.
• Gargle with warm salt water 2 to 3 times a day to remove mucus.
• Avoid inhaling dust, smoke, or other pollutants as much as you can.
• Try cough
• Use extra pillows at night to support your head and upper body.
• Try over the counter (OTC) cough medicines that include guaifenesin or dextromethorphan.

Chronic cough can severely affect your respiratory health if you don’t manage it on time. Chronic coughs are caused by various causes, however, most of them are treatable and manageable. So, don’t ignore your cough if it lasts longer than usual, seek medical help.

Your lung health is important to give the breath of life. So, don’t ignore it. Take action now and keep it healthy. Visit our pulmonary specialists in Brooklyn clinic to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment today!!!

At Doral Health and Wellness Pulmonary Center, we offer the best possible expertise and care in all aspects of pulmonology. Visit our pulmonologists to have your signs and symptoms checked. To schedule an appointment, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212, or call us at 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://pulmonologistbrooklyn.com.