Impact and disease burden of chronic cough

Abstract

Cough is an important physiological mechanism to protect the lower airways, but it is also one of the most common symptoms that lead patients to seek medical consultations. Chronic cough, usually defined by cough duration longer than 8 weeks in adults, is prevalent in the community and impairs quality of life in individual patients. There are several characteristics that may differentiate pathologic coughs from protective cough responses, including cough duration, frequency, hypersensitivity, impaired cough suppressibility, or treatment refractoriness. However, the impact of cough, or its perceived severity, is a sum of the patient's experience of coughing and is a factor that may finally define cough as a disease. Social isolation is a major impact of chronic cough, which is now worse due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and a widespread fear of cough as a source of contagion. Emotional impact and economic impact (medical cost, reduced work productivity, and job loss) are also important complications of chronic cough, and they interact in a vicious cycle, aggravated by social isolation and treatment failures. This paper is a narrative review that aims to address the impact and disease burden of chronic cough in adult patients. We review the literature, but also introduce the findings from recent qualitative interviews and the patients' experiences of the impact and burden of chronic cough and discuss unmet needs in these patients.

Physiotherapy management for COVID-19 in the acute hospital setting and beyond: an update to clinical practice recommendations

“…Factors to consider by physiotherapists a . Body structure and function Activities (examples) Participation (examples) Dyspnoea Unable to walk long distances Unable to perform activities of daily living and/or return to work Persistent cough Unable to perform activities that trigger coughing Emotional impact, social isolation, reduced productivity 182 Weakness Unable to stand for long periods Reduced health-related quality of life Fatigue Unable to do household tasks (cleaning, shopping) Difficulties with community activities Pain (headache, chest and musculoskeletal pain) Unable to participate in physical and recreational activities Altered family roles and relationships Poor memory, executive functioning and problem solving Unable to concentrate on a task and unable to multitask Return to work or studies (school, university, personal development courses) may be limited or impossible Nightmares, flashbacks to ICU, anxiety, depression Unable to sleep Emotional impact, unable to enjoy usual activities, work or community roles ICU = intensive care unit. a Adapted from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society's COVID-19 Guidelines.…”

Long-COVID severe refractory cough: discussion of a case with 6-week longitudinal cough characterization

“…Long COVID (post-COVID syndrome) refers to an array of variable and fluctuating symptoms experienced after acute illness, with signs and symptoms that persist for 8–12 weeks and are not otherwise explicable [ 2 ]. Cough is a frequent symptom of long COVID [ 1 3 ]; such patients may get stigmatised because of the public fear of contagion and reinfection [ 4 ]. Cough may thus limit social activity and impair quality of life seriously.…”

Epidemiology of adult chronic cough: disease burden, regional issues, and recent findings

“…Cough in viral infection is important as it is not only distressing to patients but also increases the risk of transmission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with cough (of any etiology) can get stigmatized and socially isolated due to the fear of contagion among people [ 41 ]. Despite the significance, the mechanisms of COVID-19-related cough remain largely unknown.…”