Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Chronic Cough

Chronic cough is defined as that lasting for more than eight weeks and is known to have a prevalence of around 10% in the community. Smokers have a much higher prevalence of cough than non smokers. Women have a higher prevalence of cough and have a more sensitive cough reflex as compared to men. Asthma and related syndromes, post nasal drip syndrome and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease have been thought to be the cause of chronic cough in a majority of cases. It has been recently suggested that chronic cough is a distinct clinical entity comprising of chronic cough with cough hypersensitivity. This has been termed the cough hypersensitivity syndrome.