Why am I coughing?

Been coughing for weeks? Your cold may not be to blame; there are many non-communicable conditions and diseases that can contribute to the development of a chronic cough. In this article we explore the role of asthma and certain medications in persistent coughing.

Is it asthma?

Asthma is a disease of the airways leading to the lungs. It manifests as difficulty breathing out, a dry, tight-sounding cough and a recurrent wheeze that improves with the use of a bronchodilator (salbutamol asthma pump). Sufferers experience tightness of the muscles that surround the airways, inflammation resulting in swelling of the airways and increased mucus production that clogs the airways.

Asthma can be triggered by many factors including allergies, smoke, temperature changes, stress, exercise and emotional factors. Allergies may develop over time and every person with asthma will have different trigger factors.

Your GP can assist with diagnosis and treatment or a specialist referral for further examination. Asthma is generally well managed with maintenance therapy to control the inflammation and reliever medication or bronchodilators (asthma pumps) to relieve the bronchospasm during an asthma attack.

Is it your meds?

Certain medication for blood pressure and cholesterol may also cause a dry, persistent cough. ‘If you are taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor medication (commonly known as an ACE inhibitor), there is a good chance that this could be the cause of your cough,’ explains Dr Michelle Pentecost, a GP in Cape Town. ‘Around one in five people who use ACE medication for blood pressure control experience a dry cough. This side effect occurs more commonly for women than for men and can range from an irritating throat tickle to a severe cough accompanied by nasal symptoms. The best way to relieve this cough is to stop taking the medication. This must be done in consultation with your doctor who can choose another medicine to manage your blood pressure and ensure that the cough is a side effect and not a symptom of something else.’

Look out for the article ‘Clearing the Airways’ in the spring issue of Bounce magazine available later this year, for information about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – a lung ailment that also causes persistent coughing.