The misery of chronic cough

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new report shows that suffering with chronic cough causes people a wide range of problems.
Chronic cough is defined as a cough that goes on for more than three weeks. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic sought to discover what the implications of the condition are for the patient. They find that chronic cough can signal a miserable existence.

They surveyed a group of patients and found that worry about underlying serious illness was a major issue for them. They also said that others got annoyed - spouses would move out of the bedroom, for instance, and the patients felt the cough was an issue at social gatherings. The cough also caused sleep disturbance which led to daytime fatigue.

Evaluation of chronic cough - especially in non-smokers - is often a long process of elimination which causes further anxiety and frustration. Therefore the Mayo Clinic wants more research into this often puzzling condition, so that patients can be offered better help and sooner.

Source
CHEST meeting 2nd November 2005

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