Cough and asthma

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Pulmonology
• Allergy & Immunology

Background:

• Cough is a frequent complaint in clinical practice, essential for respiratory tract function.
• Chronic or recurrent cough can indicate various diseases, with asthma being a primary cause.
• Asthma often presents with cough, wheeze, and breathlessness, though symptoms can vary, especially in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the multifaceted nature of cough as a symptom.
• To differentiate cough as a symptom of asthma versus other potential etiologies.
• To highlight the diagnostic challenges posed by cough variant asthma.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinical presentations of cough in pediatric patients.
• Analysis of the relationship between cough, wheezing, and asthma diagnosis.
• Discussion of differential diagnoses for persistent cough.

Main Results:

• Asthma can manifest with cough as the sole or predominant symptom, even without wheezing.
• Cough variant asthma exhibits airway hyperresponsiveness characteristic of asthma but lacks audible wheezing.
• Diverse conditions like gastroesophageal reflux, sinusitis, and tropical eosinophilia can mimic asthma-related cough.

Conclusions:

• Cough is a significant indicator of bronchial hyperresponsiveness, not exclusively asthma.
• Accurate diagnosis requires considering various etiologies beyond asthma for persistent cough.
• Further diagnostic testing is crucial when cough symptoms mimic asthma.