What can cause chronic non-infectious cough?

✅ Taking too many medications or incompatible drugs. Usually, doctors prescribe no more than 5 medications per day, including supplements, topical treatments, vitamins, etc. Self-medicating with a large number of drugs can lead to side effects, one of which is cough.

✅ Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). When the esophagus doesn't function properly, stomach acid can splash back into it, irritating the esophageal lining and causing a characteristic burning sensation or heartburn. If this happens constantly, the irritation of the mucous membrane can cause a reflex cough.

✅ Heart failure. Many people are familiar with the concept of a "cardiac cough." Indeed, in heart failure, coughing can occur when lying down. It is accompanied by shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and other symptoms.

✅ Runny nose. When talking about coughing without a cold, a runny nose cannot be ruled out, as there are "unpopular" causes of rhinitis, such as allergies or teething in children. Excessive nasal discharge can flow down the back of the throat, leading to reflex coughing, which is called postnasal drip.

✅ Psychological state. Yes, coughing can be caused by stress and overexertion. In this case, it is called psychogenic cough. Neurotic cough is usually dry and may manifest as throat clearing. The symptom can occur during psycho-emotional stress, changes in environment, etc. During a panic attack, throat spasms often occur as well. The mechanism of psychogenic cough lies in the increased excitability of the nervous system.