Ailments and Situations - Cough - Causes

Causes:

There are hundreds of conditions that can cause you to develop a cough. What follows is a focus on the more common causes for a cough.

Acute Cough

Typical cause of an acute could include the following:

The common cold can cause a cough due to post-nasal drip. Mucous forms in the back part of the nose (nasopharynx) and trickles down the back of the throat to the top of the windpipe (trachea). You may notice more coughing during the night, as this process happens more easily when lying down. See Common Cold for more information.

Influenza or pneumonia can cause a cough due to acute irritation of the trachea and large bronchi. This type of cough is usually a dry, hacking cough. See Influenza and Pneumonia for more information.

Chronic Cough

The more common causes for a chronic cough are the following:

Post-nasal drip syndrome (PNDS) is a chronic case of post-nasal drip often caused by allergies or sinusitis. This is one of the most common causes of a chronic cough in non-smokers.

Asthma is often accompanied by a cough and is sometimes the only symptom of mild cases of asthma. See Asthma for more information.

Smoke is an irritant to the throat and lungs, often causing chronic coughing. Most smokers expect to cough and often do not see their health care provider about it. This can be particularly dangerous in this case due to the possibility of various lung cancers and lung diseases that can be caused by smoking and in which coughing is one of a variety of symptoms.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) can cause a cough due to irritation of the airways by stomach acid.

Some medications can cause chronic cough in some people. ACE-inhibitors (for high blood pressure) and beta-blockers (for high blood pressure, migraines, or glaucoma) are just two examples of such medications. This cough is generally a non-productive cough that stops when you discontinue the drug. If the cough becomes bothersome, you may see your naturopath or other health practitioner to find ways to suppress it. (NOTE: Do not discontinue use of any medications without first discussing the matter with your naturopath or other health practitioner).

Chronic bronchitis is also a cause of chronic cough and is generally a productive cough. There is a high incidence of chronic bronchitis among smokers. The tobacco smoke causes airway inflammation, excessive mucous secretion, and impairment of the normal clearance of mucous from the air passages. See Bronchitis for more information.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) can cause a cough due to irritation of the large bronchi. This typically occurs with sputum and pain in the side.

Bronchiectasis is a lung disease whereby the bronchial tree is chronically dilated and colonized with bacteria. This can cause a chronic cough.

Cancer of the lungs or bronchi can cause a cough due to irritation by the presence of a tumour. See Cancer for more information.

A habit cough or nervous cough is one that may be expressed by people that are nervous or very self-conscious, like a nervous laugh. This condition may overlap with PNDS.

Psychogenic coughs are those with no apparent physical cause. They are a result of emotional or psychological problems and are more common in children than adults.

Whooping cough or pertussis is an illness resulting from infection with the bacteia Bordella pertussis. Coughing attacks, followed by a loud "whoop" as a deep breath is drawn into the lungs, is characteristic of this illness. Pertussis is more common in children than adults.

Croup is also more common in children than adults. It is caused by the same virus that causes laryngitis in adults (usually parainfluenza 1). This cough usually sounds worse than it is (sounds like barking) and breathing may be noisy. It is important to see your naturopath or other health practitioner if the fever is greater than 39°C, if breathing is difficult and rapid, if there is a severe sore throat, new or increased drooling, or if the child refuses to swallow or experiences discomfort with lying down.

Chronic interstitial pulmonary disease is actually a grouping of various lung diseases, many of which have a cough as one of many symptoms.

Post-infectious cough is a cough that persists for more than 3 weeks as the only symptoms after a cold or other upper respiratory tract (URT) infection. It will generally go away with time, without treatment. You should see your naturopath or other health practitioner if you have been in contact with someone with whooping cough to rule out whooping cough or any other possible complications.

Some infants and children will also experience a cough with sinusitis, congenital diseases or abnormalities of the heart and lungs, a foreign body stuck in airways, chronic aspiration of milk into airways while bottle feeding, and exposure to second hand smoke.