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Chronic Cough
October 19, 2007
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That pesky cough could mean something more serious. You may think a cough only comes
with a cold or respiratory infection but a cough that persists long after your illness
should not be ignored.
Dr. Salvatore Lacagnina is the medical director for Lee Physicians Group.
He says every week he sees patients come in with some kind of cough. Acute or chronic he
says coughs are a common problem.
If you cough is a side-effect of a cold or infection there’s probably no cause for
concern. Dr. Lacagnina says, “If someone just has a respiratory illness it may go
away in a week or two”.
But if your cough persists for more than a month it can be a sign of a more serious
illness like asthma or emphazema. Your risk of developing a chronic cough is much
higher if you are or ever have been a smoker. But you may be surprised at what other
two things commonly cause the condition.
“You have to look at other things such as medications. There are some blood pressure
medications that can cause chronic cough and also a lot of patients that have re-flux
of acid from the esophagus will sometimes develop a chronic cough,” says Dr. Lacagnina.
Left untreated a cough caused by acid reflux could lead to a pre-cancerous condition
in the esophagus. There are many treatments for a chronic cough including medications
and inhalers.
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