Research
Obstructive sleep apnoea: a cause of chronic cough
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* Corresponding author: Surinder S Birring surinder.birring@kch.nhs.uk
1 Respiratory Investigation Unit, Concord Hospital, Sydney, Australia
2 Institute for Lung Health, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK
3 Department of Respiratory Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, UK
Cough 2007, 3:7 doi:10.1186/1745-9974-3-7
Published: 2 July 2007Abstract
Chronic cough is a common reason for presentation to both general practice and respiratory clinics. In up to 25% of cases, the cause remains unclear after extensive investigations. We report 4 patients presenting with an isolated chronic cough who were subsequently found to have obstructive sleep apnoea. The cough improved rapidly with nocturnal continuous positive airway pressure therapy. Further studies are required to investigate the prevalence of coexistence of these common conditions.