A family medicine doctor has taken to TikTok to spotlight three little-known causes of a cough that just won’t leave. Dr Sooj, who boasts 237,000 followers, has noticed so many people experiencing a chronic cough lately, lasting anywhere from weeks to even months.
“I have seen so many people with a chronic cough recently,” he said, according to Mirror US. “So, here are three common reasons that someone might be coughing for weeks, or months on end, and antibiotics and x-rays haven’t made any difference. And, the third one, you’re definitely going to want to hear.”
First, it’s worth asking yourself whether you have high blood pressure. Dr Sooj pointed to a group of medications that could be culprits, identifying four types commonly used to treat the prevalent health issue.
“So, there is a group of medications called ACE inhibitors,” he explained. “Examples are Ramipril, Lisinopril, Perindopril, Captopril. And all of these are used to treat high blood pressure.”
Delving into these drugs, he then noted: “Any of these can cause irritation to the airway, which can lead to a dry cough, it can be chronic. This is one of the most common side effects of the medication, and it usually settles within the first month.
“But it might take a bit longer. So, if you can persevere with it, carry on. If not, it’ll be worth having a chat with a clinician to see if you can be changed to something else.”
Dr Sooj claimed another common cause of a chronic cough is asthma. This health issue is an incurable condition that affects breathing and may give rise to the following symptoms:
The expert continued: “Interestingly, around one in four people with a chronic cough will have asthma and the treatment is very straightforward. We just use inhalers to try and open up the airways, relax the airways, reduce inflammation in the airways.
“And there is a very clear stepwise approach to asthma management. Sometimes tablets are used on top of the inhalers.” In Dr Sooj’s third and final point, he proposed that your cough could in fact be the whooping cough.
This infection of the lungs and breathing tubes is spread very easily and may lead to potentially serious complications, according to the NHS. Vaccination is particularly crucial for infants, young children, and pregnant individuals.
“Now, it is not a conspiracy,” Dr Sooj continued. “Doctors aren’t trying to hide it from you. It presents, it’s got multiple different phases to the illness.
“The first two to three weeks is usually very similar to any other viral infection with a cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches [and] tiredness. But it is usually in the second phase where you start developing this really loud inspiratory whoop in between coughing fits, you have a very severe coughing, you might vomit after a cough.”
He concluded: “If you are deemed to have whooping cough and you’re early in your illness, you might be given some antibiotics. If you’re not, then treatment is generally supportive with self-care advice, and managing close contacts.”
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