aetiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
Cough may result from a multiplicity of aetiologies.
- acute cough
- most common cause is viral upper respiratory tract infection (1)
- other causes include:
- asthma
- pneumonia
- acute exacerbation of a preexisting condition such as asthma, bronchiectasis, COPD
- acute bronchitis (2)
- serious conditions such as neoplasms, foreign body inhalation, infections (tuberculosis), anaphylaxis due to acute allergy (1)
- subacute cough
- usually precedes an acute upper respiratory tract infection
- chronic cough - some causes of persistent or recurrent cough include:
- asthma - the commonest
- bronchitis:
- viral
- chemical e.g. smoke
- secondary bacterial bronchitis
- specific infections e.g. mycoplasma, pertussis, tuberculosis
- suppurative lung disease:
- bronchiectasis
- cystic fibrosis
- secondary lung collapse (foreign body)
- Kartagener's syndrome
- drug induced - particularly ACE inhibitors and dry cough
- focal lesions:
- inhaled foreign body
- lung carcinoma
- psychological illness
- pulmonary oedema
- pleural disease
- smoking
- tracheitis
- vocal cord palsy
Reference:
upper respiratory tract infection
lower respiratory tract infection