• Imran Satia, Huda Badri, Bashar Al-Sheklly, Jaclyn Ann Smith, and Ashley A Woodcock.
• Division of Infection, Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, and Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre. University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK.
• Clin Med (Lond). 2016 Dec 1; 16 (Suppl 6): s92s97s92-s97.

AbstractChronic cough is a common and troublesome condition affecting approximately 12% of the general population. It is associated with poor quality of life with psychological, social and physical consequences. Patients typically complain of a dry irritating cough, driven by a strong urge to cough associated with a sensation or irritation located in the throat. Treatment of potential 'causes', ie asthma, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and rhino-sinusitis, may produce a complete or partial response, but the response of some patients to opiates and alpha-2-delta ligand antagonists (gabapentin and pregabalin) supports the concept that this is primarily a neurological disorder, characterised by hyper-responsiveness of the nerves. Novel and highly effective neuronal treatments are in development and offer hope of better symptom control with fewer side effects within a few years. This review focuses on understanding the mechanism of chronic cough, current management approaches and research that may lead to novel therapies.© Royal College of Physicians 2016. All rights reserved.

12 keywords...

hide…