Cough D/D

Cough (chronic) : differential

Cough (chronic): differential "CRADLE":
Cystic fibrosis
Rings, slings, and airway things (tracheal rings)/ Respiratory infections
Aspiration (swallowing dysfunction, TE fistula, gastroesphageal reflux)
Dyskinetic cilia
Lung, airway, and vascular malformations (tracheomalacia, vocal cord dysfunction)
Edema (heart failure)

Coughing General info

 might sometimes be uncomfortable, but it actually serves a useful purpose. When you cough, you bring up mucus and foreign material from your airways that can irritate your lungs. Coughing can also be in response to inflammation or illness.

Most coughs are short-lived. You may catch a cold or the flu, cough for a few days or weeks, and then you’ll start to feel better.

Less often, a cough lingers for several weeks, months, or even years. When you keep coughing without an obvious cause, you may have something serious.

A cough that lasts eight weeks or more is called a chronic cough. Even chronic coughs often have a treatable cause. They can result from conditions like postnasal drip or allergies. Only rarely are they a symptom of cancer or other potentially life-threatening lung conditions.

A chronic cough can have a big impact on your life, though. It can keep you awake at night and distract you from work and your social life. 

Causes of chronic cough

The most common causes of a chronic cough are:

• postnasal drip
• asthma, especially cough-variant asthma, which causes a cough as the main symptom
• acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• chronic bronchitis or other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• infections, such as pneumonia or acute bronchitis
• ACE inhibitors, which are medications used to treat high blood pressure
• smoking

Less common causes for a chronic cough include:

• bronchiectasis, which is damage to the airways that causes the bronchial walls in the lungs to become inflamed and thickened
• bronchiolitis, which is an infection and inflammation of the bronchioles, the tiny air passages in the lungs
• cystic fibrosis, an inherited condition that damages the lungs and other organs by causing thick secretions
• interstitial lung disease, a condition that involves scarring of lung tissue
• heart failure
• lung cancer
• pertussis, a bacterial infection which is also known as whooping cough
• sarcoidosis, which consists of clusters of inflamed cells, known as granulomas, that form in the lungs and other parts of the body

Other possible symptoms

Along with the cough, you might have other symptoms, depending on the cause. Common symptoms that often go along with a chronic cough include:

• a feeling of liquid dripping down the back of your throat
• heartburn
• hoarse voice
• runny nose
• sore throat
• stuffed nose
• wheezing
• shortness of breath

A chronic cough can also cause these issues:

• dizziness or fainting
• chest soreness and discomfort
• headaches
• frustration and anxiety, especially if you don’t know the cause
• sleep loss
• urine leakage