Towards understanding and managing chronic cough

• Published in: Clinical medicine (London, England) England), 2016-12, Vol.16 (Suppl 6), p.s92-s97
• Main Authors: Satia, Imran, Badri, Huda, Al-Sheklly, Bashar, Smith, Jaclyn Ann, Woodcock, Ashley A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Respiratory
• ISSN: 1470-2118; 1473-4893
• DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.16-6s-s92

Chronic cough is a common and troublesome condition affecting approximately 12% of the general population. It is associated with poor quality of life with psychological, social and physical consequences. Patients typically complain of a dry irritating cough, driven by a strong urge to cough associated with a sensation or irritation located in the throat. Treatment of potential ‘causes’, ie asthma, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and rhino-sinusitis, may produce a complete or partial response, but the response of some patients to opiates and alpha-2-delta ligand antagonists (gabapentin and pregabalin) supports the concept that this is primarily a neurological disorder, characterised by hyper-responsiveness of the nerves. Novel and highly effective neuronal treatments are in development and offer hope of better symptom control with fewer side effects within a few years. This review focuses on understanding the mechanism of chronic cough, current management approaches and research that may lead to novel therapies.