Causes of Cough

Acute Cough

• Two of these causes include bronchopulmonary infection ( ex. bronchitis or pneumonia) and environmental causes such as cigarette smoke or other air pollutants such as ozone.

Chronic Cough

• Persistent cough for greater than 2 weeks without a recognized etiology presents an important clinical problem. The persistence of cough can be do to stimulation of any of the numerous cough receptors by a wide variety of causes.
• The approach to a chronic cough requires consideration of the anatomical distribution of the cough receptors and the knowledge of the likely of the various etiologies of chronic cough.
• Common causes of chronic cough
  • airways hyperactivity
  • post nasal drip
  • gastro-esophageal reflux
• Less common but important causes of chronic cough
  • lung cancer
  • laryngeal disease
  • drug induced (ACE inhibitors)
  • ear disease
  • psychogenic