What is chronic cough?

When a cough lasts longer than 8 weeks, it is called chronic. This can have various causes. Repeated respiratory infections (circling infections) may lead to a chronic cough.

But there are also other reasons: If a cough persists for a long time, a doctor should clarify whether a chronic respiratory disease is the cause. Worldwide, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and COPD are the most common causes of chronic cough and require medical treatment. Characteristics of these diseases are shortness of breath and coughing to expel what is thought to be foreign matter and mucus from the lungs.

An acute exacerbation is a sudden worsening of symptoms and occurs in asthma and COPD. These attacks can have dire consequences if left untreated. Increased coughing at night may indicate an acute exacerbation several days in advance. This head start can be very valuable for the treatment of an exacerbation, as it allows patients to see a doctor or increase the dose of their medication in time. In this way, the attack can sometimes be prevented before it happens. After the exacerbation, the cough subsides again. In summary, nocturnal cough can be a telling symptom of disease progression and can also provide early warnings of dangerous attacks.

Together with the ETH Zurich, the Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, and the University of St. Gallen, the CSS Health Lab is researching the connection between coughing and the course of chronic diseases. This research has given rise to Resmonics AG, which has developed the technology behind 'myCough'.