Chronic Cough

A cough that persists for eight weeks or longer is considered chronic, and it can have a wide range of underlying causes — some pulmonary, and some not.

Common causes of chronic cough include:

• Asthma or other airway hyperreactivity

• Post-nasal drip / upper airway conditions

• Acid reflux (GERD)

• Chronic bronchitis or other obstructive lung disease

• Certain medications

• In some cases, an underlying lung condition that hasn't yet been diagnosed

How chronic cough is evaluated: Dr. Abdallah takes a systematic approach to identifying the cause of a persistent cough, which may include pulmonary function testing, imaging, and a detailed review of your symptoms and history. Because chronic cough can stem from several different systems in the body, getting to an accurate diagnosis is often the key to effective treatment — rather than continuing to treat symptoms without addressing the underlying cause.