Chronic Cough
A cough is one of the most frustrating conditions that can afflict patients. From disturbing a movie, music performance, or a romantic dinner, a cough has significant social implications. And yet it can cause physical harm as well. Patients who suffer from prolonged coughs can develop harmful physical changes that cause callus formation on the vocal cords, something called nodules. A complete history and physical examination, usually in combination with a procedure to look at the vocal cords, can reliably rule out any serious issues and give clues to the underlying cause of your cough. The following is a brief overview of the usual causes of a chronic, or long lasting cough.Post-infectious Cough
A post-infectious cough is one which persists long after the causative organism has been defeated by your body's natural defenses. As your body fights invading viruses (usually in conjunction with cold-like symptoms) or bacteria (usually with thick pus-like phlegm) it must increase its ability to bring in white blood cells to do the "dirty work." This results in dilated blood vessels, swollen mucosa (skin of the air-spaces inside your body), and increased "leakiness" of the mucosa. These changes can last long after the original infection has been cleared. These changes can lead to an "asthma-like" hyper-reactivity of the airways and continued cough. Some have reported this condition can last up to 6 months after the original infection.Reflux Laryngitis
Previous studies have been done in which pH monitors were placed in the esophagus of various groups of people. Those who had pH evidence of acid reflux were grouped and studied independently. Of those who had proven acid reflux, interesting, only half of them had complained of typical acid reflux symptoms such as heart-burn. The other half were labeled as "silent-refluxers." Less known to the general public, acid can reach all the way up to the back of your throat and cause minor burns in those areas, including the back of the voice box. This is a common stimulus of a cough or throat clearing. Rarely, more severe complications can occur, including buildup of inflammatory tissue (called granulation tissue) in the area immediately below the vocal cords in the trachea.Habituated Cough
Habituated cough is a very frustrating entity, as there isn't a medicine that can make it better. This occurs due to small amounts of inflammation that build up in the vocal cords each time a patient coughs. This inflammation then causes the sensory stimulus that precipitates more coughing. This also occurs commonly as throat clearing, though throat clearing is a common social tic as well (like saying "um.."). The only effective way to treat this condition is to have the patient willfully resist the urge to cough. Sometimes, a hand-held talley counter can be a convenient way to set and keep track of goals to overcome this entity.If you are suffering from a long-standing cough, make an appointment with Dr York today, CLICK HERE!