Patients with chronic cough should avoid exposure to irritants that can trigger cough, and those who smoke should stop smoking. Patients who develop chronic cough in association with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy should be switched to an agent from another drug class. If cough persists, a chest radiograph should be ordered to rule out malignancy and other serious conditions. P...

A 31-year-old non-smoking man presented with a 2 month history of dry cough, rhinorrhea and postnasal drip. He had been seen at an Otorhinolaryngology clinic which prescribed standard sinusitis therapy. Due to lack of relief, he then presented to our clinic. The patient had no symptoms related to other systems. His vital signs were normal and physical examination was unremarkable. Basic laborat...

Objectives. Chronic cough is a multifactorial symptom that requires multidisciplinary approach. Over the last years, general practitioners refer increasingly more chronic cough patients directly to the otolaryngologist. The aim of this paper is to highlight the issues in diagnosis and management of chronic cough patients from the otolaryngologist perspective. Design. Literature review. Results....

OBJECTIVE To review the literature on postnasal drip syndrome (PNDS)-induced cough and the various causes of PNDS. Hereafter, PNDS will be referred to as upper airway cough syndrome (UACS). METHODS MEDLINE search (through May 2004) for studies published in the English language since 1980 on human subjects using the medical subject heading terms "cough," "causes of cough," "etiology of cough,"...

Wheezing and dyspnoea are typical symptoms of asthma but can also be found in diseases of the extrathoracic airways. Functional upper airway obstruction may imitate, as well as complicate asthma. Functional upper airway obstruction was first described as a conversion disorder in young females with inspiratory stridor. Subsequently, it was found that functional upper airway obstruction was more ...

INTRODUCTION Prolonged cough is a common reason for referral to a respiratory physician. Some cases of prolonged cough can be a diagnostic challenge, especially when it is not accompanied by features that suggest common aetiologies. The current study examined this group of patients so as to ascertain the final aetiological and clinical outcomes. METHODS We performed a chart review of cases th...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the changing patterns of the spectrum and frequency of causes for chronic cough, and to explore its clinical implications. METHODS Nine hundred and forty patients consecutively referred to Department of Respiratory Medicine for evaluation of chronic cough between January 2004 and December 2008 were collected and divided into 5 groups by periods of 5 years. The causes ...