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Review
. 2015 Jan-Feb;32(1):44-9.
doi: 10.4103/0970-2113.148450.

Chronic dry cough: Diagnostic and management approaches

Ashok Mahashur  1
Affiliations
Review

Chronic dry cough: Diagnostic and management approaches

Ashok Mahashur. Lung India. 2015 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Cough is the most common symptom for which medical treatment is sought in the outpatient setting. Chronic dry cough poses a great diagnostic and management challenge due to myriad etiologies. Chronic cough has been commonly considered to be caused by gastroesophageal reflux, post-nasal drip or asthma. However, recent evidences suggest that many patients with these conditions do not have cough, and in those with cough, the response to specific treatments is unpredictable at best. This raises questions about the concept of a triad of treatable causes for chronic cough. This article discusses the mechanism and etiology of cough, along with recent advances in the field of cough, highlighting some of the diagnostic and management challenges.

Keywords: Cough; chronic cough; diagnosis; guidelines; management.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The most common causes of chronic cough reported in the literature
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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