Chronic Unexplained Cough And Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Quick Clinical Review

Chronic cough may be caused or triggered by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is the third most common cause of chronic unexplained cough after bronchial asthma and postnasal drip. Many patients with unexplained cough have underlying GERD without the classic reflux symptoms making clinicians unaware that GERD may be playing a crucial role in these patients. Aggressive therapy of GERD results in resolution of cough in almost 80 to 95% of patients with GERD associated cough. This short review attempts to describe the underlying mechanisms, diagnostic evaluation and the current management of GERD related cough in the general practice.