5 The coughing may be associated with eating and may worsen when the patient is in an upright position (ie, when the lower esophageal sphincter relaxes) and improve when the patient is asleep (ie, when transient relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter is inhibited).
Symptoms of GERD-induced cough include a cough that occurs mostly during the day when you're sitting upright; an ongoing cough that occurs without asthma or post-nasal drip, and one that occurs without any other symptoms or because of things like smoking or side effects from medication.
Hoarseness, throat clearing, the sensation of a tickle in the throat and cough — usually when in an upright position — may be associated with GERD affecting the throat. This is called laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).
Chronic dry coughs are usually caused by irritation from cigarette smoke, environmental irritants, allergies, post-nasal drip, or asthma. Several chronic lung diseases also cause a dry, hacking cough. Some people cough out of habit for no clear reason. Gastric reflux may also cause a chronic dry cough.
A bronchitis cough sounds like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. As your condition progresses, you will first have a dry cough that can then progress towards coughing up white mucus.
"A cough is considered chronic if it persists longer than eight weeks," explains Dr. Safdar. "At that point, we start to worry whether the cause might be a chronic health condition that needs to be addressed."
A dry cough means it's tickly and doesn't produce any phlegm (thick mucus). A chesty cough means phlegm is produced to help clear your airways.
What is a heart cough? In heart failure, your heart muscle has dysfunction that might be due to weak contraction or stiffness. This can allow fluid to back up in yout lungs, creating a condition called pulmonary edema. Your body coughs persistently in an effort to eliminate the excess fluid.
The Cough That Doesn't Go Away: A cough that you've had for a long time is called a chronic cough (as opposed to an acute cough, which is sudden and short-term). It tends to be at its worst during the day, and may include coughing fits.
Your doctor will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope. If you have pneumonia, your lungs may make crackling, bubbling, and rumbling sounds when you inhale.
Signs and symptoms of a chest infection
a persistent cough. coughing up yellow or green phlegm (thick mucus), or coughing up blood. breathlessness or rapid and shallow breathing.
The four main types of coughs are: wet, dry, paroxysmal and croup. Most coughs do go away on their own.
Call your doctor if your cough (or your child's cough) doesn't go away after a few weeks or if it also involves any one of these: Coughing up thick, greenish-yellow phlegm. Wheezing. Experiencing a fever.
While it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint the problem that's triggering a chronic cough, the most common causes are tobacco use, postnasal drip, asthma and acid reflux. Fortunately, chronic cough typically disappears once the underlying problem is treated.
Coughs that persist after a common cold or other upper respiratory infection are called post-infectious or post-viral coughs. They can linger for three to eight weeks after a viral infection.
You are contagious for the entire period of time symptoms are present, all the way until they disappear. Keep in mind, however, when your symptoms are at their worst—generally the first two to three days—you are at your most infectious. Vaccine available? Currently, there's no vaccine for the common cold.
Cough. Production of mucus (sputum), which can be clear, white, yellowish-gray or green in color — rarely, it may be streaked with blood. Fatigue. Shortness of breath.
Coughing often worsens at night because a person is lying flat in bed. Mucus can pool in the back of the throat and cause coughing. Sleeping with the head elevated can reduce the symptoms of postnasal drip and GERD. Both can cause coughing at night.
Your GP should be able to diagnose you based on your symptoms. They will also listen to your chest using a stethoscope (a medical instrument used to listen to the heart and lungs). In some cases, further tests – such as a chest X-ray, breathing tests and testing phlegm or blood samples – may be necessary.