Chronic cough - how does it develop and what helps?

Coughing is a phenomenon that we often encounter in everyday life, for example, when we have a cold. But about ten percent of the population suffer from chronic cough. What is chronic cough, what causes can he have and what can be done against the annoying cough stimulus?

What is cough?

Coughing yourself, whether chronic or acute, is not a disease. Rather, it is a symptom of other harmless or serious illnesses. But what is the function of coughing in our body? It is a protective mechanism that clears the airways of foreign bodies, mucus or dust. With its cilia and watery mucus, the respiratory mucous membrane is a well-functioning cleaning system of our respiratory system. If, however, pathogens or pollutants penetrate this system, the formation of mucus increases, the cilia stick together and the removal device falters, resulting in coughing. Now even more mucus accumulates, which irritates the cough sensors and leads to even more coughing.

There are three different forms of cough: 

1. Irritating cough (dry cough without expectoration)
2. productive cough (cough with sputum)
3. Coughing up blood (coughing with bloody sputum)

What is chronic cough?

We all know cough, but when do doctors speak of chronic cough? If the cough lasts longer than eight weeks, it is considered chronic. The persistent cough can have many different, similar causes, which makes differential diagnosis difficult. Therefore, it is first important to get to the bottom of the triggers of coughing, because only if the underlying disease is known, can also be treated properly.

Chronic cough: possible causes

• Bronchial asthma: Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that can lead to dry, irritable coughing and attacks of respiratory distress.
• Chronic bronchitis: Chronic bronchitis is a permanent inflammation of the bronchi. Prolonged coughing, expectoration, difficulty breathing and coughing are typical symptoms of this condition.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Chronic bronchitis can lead to COPD. This bronchial disease is common in smokers. COPD is characterized by severe cough, sputum, dyspnoea and performance decline.
• bronchiectasis: Bronchiectasis refers to abnormally dilated, dilated bronchi. These can be innate or caused by infectious diseases or chronic inflammation. There is shortness of breath and severe cough, the mostly large amounts of foul-smelling mucus and possibly also blood, is added.
• Whooping cough: Whooping cough manifests itself in spasmodic coughing fits, wheezing and coughing. After the disease has subsided, the cough may persist for a long time in chronic form.
• Tuberculosis: If tuberculosis affects the lungs, it is manifested by coughing, sometimes with bloody sputum, and pain in the chest. Other warning signs: weight loss, night sweats and elevated temperature.
• Pulmonary fibrosis: Pulmonary fibrosis refers to a constant remodeling of the lung tissue in scar tissue. In most cases, it occurs as a result of other (lung) diseases and manifests with a dry, irritating cough.
• Upper Airway Cough Syndrome (UACS): The Upper Airway Cough Syndrome, also known as Postnasal Drip Syndrome (PNDS), occurs when chronic cough is triggered by upper respiratory tract irritation such as sinusitis or allergic rhinitis. The mucus flowing down the pharyngeal wall in the Upper Airway Cough Syndrome irritates the cough sensors and leads to the annoying, permanent cough.
• Gastroesophageal reflux: In reflux, there is a malfunction of the esophageal sphincter in the stomach entrance. Stomach porridge or gastric juice flows into the esophagus, causing inflammation there, which in turn causes the cough reflex via the respiratory tract.
• Side effect of drugs: ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers and nitrofurantoin may cause chronic cough as an unwanted side effect.
• Heart failure: Chronic cough, especially at night, can be a first sign of heart failure, in addition to respiratory distress usually occurs.
• lung cancer: Lung cancer can show up in a dry, but also in a wet cough with sputum. Especially smokers over the age of 45 belong to the lung cancer risk group.
• Allergies or food intolerances: Allergy and food intolerances (such as milk protein intolerance) can be the cause of chronic cough.

Chronic cough: what to do

• For chronic cough, please seek a doctor. The German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine advises to treat chronic cough necessarily.Your doctor will use differential diagnosis to look for the cause of the cough.
• In general, chronic cough should not - and certainly not on your own - be suppressed with drugs, as long as its cause is unknown.
• After consultation with your doctor, it may be useful, depending on the clinical picture to take cough suppressant or cough suppressant.
• Lozenges with Emser salt or Icelandic moss soothe the respiratory tract.
• Drink one to two liters daily. The fluid dilutes the mucus that gets stuck in your airways, making it easier to carry away. Warm drinks loosen the mucus best.
• Inhalations and steam baths moisturize the respiratory tract, help with the removal of mucus and relieve the onset of coughing.
• Rub your breast with ointments that produce heat. This promotes blood circulation and thus also the mucus solution.
• If your chronic cough is associated with a nose condition or severe nasal breathing, decongestant nasal drops or nasal sprays may be used.
• Physiotherapy can help to learn effective cough techniques.

Other home remedies for cough and what you can do with chills and pain when coughing, you will learn with us.

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