Chronic cough with mucus

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Chronic cough with mucus

Credit: Getty Images Read more about COPD and some common (and relatively uncommon) culprits in chronic cough. Credit: Getty Images You've been coughing for weeks. How do you know if it's a hard-to-shake cold or something more serious? Only a doctor can tell for sure what's behind your hacking. A number of conditions could be to blame, such asasthma; postnasal drip; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a serious, progressive disease that includes both emphysema and bronchitis.Read more about COPD and some common (and relatively uncommon) culprits in chronic cough. Advertisement Advertisement Credit: Istockphoto Asthma is a chronic lung disease in which the airways in the lungs are prone to inflammation and swelling. Along with chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing, coughing is a characteristic symptom of asthma, one which tends to intensify at night or in the early morning. When the symptoms of asthma flare up suddenly, it's known as an asthma attack.Even in people without asthma, inhalingpollen, dust, pet dander, and other airborne irritants can trigger allergic rhinitis, an allergic reaction that can cause coughing, along with symptoms such as stuffy nose and sneezing. Credit: Getty Images COPD occurs when the airways and air sacs in the lungs become inflamed or damaged, most often due to smoking, and is more common after age 45. In COPD, the lungs produce excess mucus, which the body reflexively tries to clear by coughing. COPD-related tissue damage can also make you feel short of breath. Your doctor may check you for COPD (particularly if you smoke), after ruling out other common causes of cough. To determine if you have COPD, your doctor is likely to conduct some tests, including spirometry, which involves inhaling as deeply as you can and then exhaling into a tube. Advertisement Credit: Getty Images GERD is an ailment of the stomach and esophagus that occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus due to a weak valve.The main symptoms? Killerheartburn. But coughing is another common symptom of GERD, along with chest pain and wheezing. In fact, GERD is a fairly common, and unrecognized, cause of a chronic cough. Credit: Getty Images Coughing is one of the most common symptoms of colds and fluand other respiratory tract infections. A bad cough can outlast other symptoms (such as stuffy nose and a fever), perhaps because the air passages in your lungs remain sensitive and inflamed. When this occurs, it's called chronic upper airway cough syndrome (or postnasal drip). A more serious respiratory tract infection is pneumonia, which can be caused by bacteria or viruses. A cough, often producing a greenish or rustcolored mucus, is one of the characteristic symptoms of the illness, along with fever, chills, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, and nausea. Credit: Getty Images Various pollutants and irritants in the air can cause a persistent cough. Even short-term exposure to fumes (such as diesel exhaust) can result in cough, phlegm, and lung irritation. Fumes can also exacerbate allergies or asthma. Similarly,mold spores found in and around homes can cause wheezing and coughing when inhaled. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans reported a sudden spike in persistent cough complaints among returning residents. This so-called Katrina cough was believed to stem from the mold caused by the flooding, as well as by dry weather and the construction dust that was then ubiquitous in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Credit: Getty Images If you're recovering from a cold and suddenly develop a hacking, mucus-y cough, you may have acute bronchitis, a condition in which the passageways in your lungs become infected and inflamed. In addition to coughing and chest congestion, bronchitis can produce fever, chills, aches, sore throat, and other flu-like symptoms. These symptoms usually disappear within a few days, but the cough can persist for weeks. If your cough doesn't go away, or if you develop acute bronchitis frequently, it may be a sign of chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is a serious condition in which the lungs produce excess mucus due to ongoing irritation, and is considered a form of COPD. Credit: Istockphoto ACE inhibitors are a type of medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. About 1 in 5 people who take the drugs develop a dry cough. In some people, the cough can persist for weeks after they stop taking the medication; women, African Americans, and Asians may be at greater risk of developing an ACE inhibitor cough than other people.You should never stop taking a prescribed medication without consulting with your doctor, and ACE inhibitors are important medications for lowering blood pressure (a more serious condition than a cough.) Consult your doctor if you think your cough is related to a medication. Credit: Getty Images Also known as whooping cough, pertussis is a bacterial disease with symptoms that include a slight fever, a runny nose, and, most notably, a violent cough that can make breathing difficult. Attempting to inhale air into the lungs between coughs can produce a distinctive, high-pitched whooping sound. After the initial stage, many people do not have a fever, but the chronic cough that accompanies pertussis can last for many weeks. Although the number of pertussis cases in the United States has risen alarmingly in recent years, especially among adolescents and adults, pertussis is still a relatively uncommon cause of chronic cough. Advertisement Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest Voice and Swallowing Disorders Asthma Coughing has a purpose. It's an important way to keep your throat and airway clear of material that should not be there. Your vocal cords come together with force when you cough to propel foreign bodies or irritants away from the lungs. Sometimes a cough can become a chronic condition. Constant irritation and trauma to the voice box can cause a pattern of overreaction of the vocal folds with more easily triggered cough response and the chronic feeling of needing to cough when there isn't actually anything to cough out. Chronic cough is usually defined as a cough that lasts for eight weeks or longer. When this occurs, it's important to evaluate and manage all the possible causes. Chronic cough may be caused by any of the following: Chronic Cough Diagnosis Chronic cough may be brought on by conditions of the lungs, sinuses, allergy issues or reflux. Following evaluation by your otolaryngologist (ENT) you may be referred to a pulmonologist or gastroenterologist to evaluate these underlying causes. Chronic Cough Treatment Treatment for chronic cough involves identifying the contributing factors and managing them with medication, lifestyle and behavioral changes. Your treatment team will discuss different treatments with you, including medicines that may suppress the trigger to cough. In addition, a speech language pathologist who has experience treating chronic cough will help you: Identify and eliminate sources of chronic vocal cord irritation through improved vocal hygiene Identify and control triggers for cough Begin an exercise program to give you better control over breathing, voice and coughing episodes Chronic cough is a persistent cough that lasts eight weeks or longer, on some or most days. While cough is a symptom of many lung diseases as well as some non-lung conditions, chronic cough often last much longer than eight weeks. Read More Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH -- Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA on January 23, 2020Coughing is a routine bodily function, but when it lasts for an extended time, it can get in the way of everyday life and be worrying. A chronic cough can be wet and produce phlegm or dry and tickle the throat.A chronic cough is when a cough lasts longer than 8 weeks in adults or 4 weeks in children. Common causes include asthma, allergies, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or bronchitis. Less commonly, it can be a sign of a more severe condition, such as a heart cough or lung disease.In this article, we take a close look at the causes and symptoms of a chronic cough, ways to treat it, and when to see a doctor.A variety of factors can cause a chronic cough. Sometimes, more than one factor may be mon causesShare on PinterestWhen an adult has a cough that persists for more than 8 weeks, it is considered a chronic cough.Some of the more common causes of chronic cough include:Asthma. Asthma occurs when a person's upper airways are especially sensitive to cold air, irritants in the air, or exercise. One type of asthma, known as cough-variant asthma, specifically causes a cough.Bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis causes long-term inflammation of the airways that can cause a cough. This can be a part of an airway disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that typically occurs as a side effect of smoking.Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD occurs when acid comes back up from a person's stomach and into their throat. The result can be chronic irritation in the throat that leads to a cough.Lingering after-effects of infection. If a person has had a severe infection, such as pneumonia or the flu, they might still experience lingering effects that include a chronic cough. Even though most of their symptoms have gone away, the airways may still remain inflamed for some time.Postnasal drip. Also known as upper airway cough syndrome, a postnasal drip is the result of mucus dripping down the back of the throat. This irritates the throat and triggers a cough reflex.Blood pressurelowering medications. Medications known as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can cause a chronic cough in some people. These medications end in -pril and include benazepril, captopril, and ramipril.Less-common causesSome less common causes of a chronic cough include:Aspiration. Aspiration is the medical term for when food or saliva goes down the airway instead of the food pipe. The excess fluid can collect bacteria or viruses and may lead to irritation of the airway. Sometimes aspiration can lead to pneumonia.Bronchiectasis. Excess mucus production can cause the airways to become larger than normal.Bronchiolitis. Bronchiolitis is a common condition that affects children. It is caused by a virus that causes inflammation of the bronchioles, which are small airways in the lungs.Cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis causes excess mucus in the lungs and airways, which can cause a chronic cough.Heart disease. Sometimes coughing and shortness of breath can be symptoms of heart disease or heart failure. This is called a heart cough. A person with this condition may notice their cough worsens when they are lying completely flat.Lung cancer. While rare, persistent coughing can be a sign of lung cancer. A person with this disease may also experience chest pain as well as blood in their sputum.Sarcoidosis. This is an inflammatory disorder that causes small growths to develop in the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes, and skin.A cough is typically the result of something that is irritating the airways causing the muscles in the chest and stomach to contract. The irritation also causes the glottis that covers the airways to open quickly, causing air to rush out. The result is a cough.A cough can be `dry' or `wet'. A dry cough is a non-productive one, meaning the cough does not produce mucus. People who smoke cigarettes and those who take ACE inhibitors tend to have a dry cough. A wet cough is one that produces mucus or sputum. This is the case when, for example, a person has postnasal drip or cystic fibrosis.Share on PinterestA doctor will listen to a person's lungs to help determine the cause of a chronic cough.A chronic cough can become a medical emergency. If a person experiences the following symptoms along with a chronic cough they should seek emergency treatment:a fever greater than 103?Fcoughing up bloodchest painshortness of breath or difficulty catching their breathIf a chronic cough interferes with a person's everyday activities, it often warrants further examination by a doctor. Other symptoms that may mean a person needs to see their doctor include:appetite losscoughing up a lot of mucusfatiguenight sweatsunexplained weight lossTo make a diagnosis, a doctor will begin by asking the person when their symptom first appeared, what makes the symptoms better, and what makes them worse. They will ask about the person's medical history and lifestyle habits, such as whether they smoke. A doctor will likely also listen to the person's lungs using a stethoscope.Sometimes a doctor will require further testing to help with diagnosis. Tests may include:taking a sputum sample and evaluating it for the presence of blood or cancerous cellsimaging scans, such as X-rays or computed tomography scans to determine if there are signs of lung disease or inflammationa bronchoscopy, where a doctor views the lungs for signs of irritation or diseaseEach of these tests, as well as a variety of other tests, can help a doctor identify the underlying causes of a chronic cough.Treatments for a chronic cough depend upon the underlying cause. If a doctor cannot determine the exact cause straight away, they might decide to treat the most common contributing factors for a chronic cough.Postnasal drip is a common cause, so a doctor may recommend the person takes decongestants or antihistamines. These medications can help to dry up secretions and reduce inflammation that can lead to postnasal drip. Decongestant or nasal steroid sprays may also help.Other treatments may be more specific to a particular underlying medical condition. For example, a person may be able to control their GERD through making lifestyle changes and taking medications that reduce the effects of acid on the stomach. Examples of these changes can include:eating several small meals a dayavoiding foods known to cause GERD, such as caffeine, citrus fruits, tomato-based foods, high-fat foods, chocolate, or peppermintrefraining from lying down until two hours after eatingsleeping with the head of the bed raised or using extra pillows to elevate the headtaking medications, such as cimetidine (Tagamet) or famotidine (Pepcid)Those who have a cough related to ACE inhibitors may wish to talk to their doctor. There are some medications that may be able to reduce high blood pressure without causing a cough.Unless side effects are serious, a person should not stop taking medication without first speaking to their doctor.Smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of developing a chronic cough. Exposure to second-hand smoke can also increase a person's risk. The smoke can irritate the airways and lead to a chronic cough as well as lung damage.Exposure to chemicals in the air, such as from working in a factory or laboratory, can also lead to long-term coughing.Taking ACE inhibitors is a significant risk factor for coughing. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, an estimated 20 percent of people who take ACE inhibitors develop a cough.Coughing can be problematic if it interferes with a person's daily life. A chronic cough can have the following additional effects:affecting a person's ability to sleep well if coughing keeps them up at nightdaytime fatiguedifficulty concentrating at work and schoolheadachesdizzinessAlthough rare, very severe coughing can cause the following complications:faintingurinary incontinencebroken ribsMost cases of a chronic cough can be treated, typically with over-the-counter treatments. However, sometimes a chronic cough can indicate a more serious cause that a doctor should evaluate. Last medically reviewed on January 23, 2020

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