Chemical receptors respond to smells and fumes they’re the reason people sometimes cough after breathing in spicy peppers sizzling on a hot skillet.

There are two types of nerves that can trigger a cough in response to external stimuli: chemical receptors and mechanical ones called mechanoreceptors. I see this same variability in my office: Some patients develop a long-term cough, while others seem to kick the cough much sooner, with no clear explanation.Ĭoughing occurs due to a complex process that begins with an electrical impulse between the nerves within the airways, including the nose and throat.

The answer likely lies in differences in people, such as the presence of a condition like asthma or chronic bronchitis. But a cough following an upper respiratory infection does usually go away, in time.ĭoctors have long wondered why the duration of cough varies so much following an upper respiratory viral or bacterial infection. That, unfortunately, depends on why you are coughing. Given how ubiquitous persistent coughing is, you might presume that the medical profession has a long list of treatments that we know work. Some 40% of those end up in a pulmonologist’s office like mine. And unfortunately, with the rise in seasonal flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, or RVS cases in the fall of 2022 and winter of 2023, there’s been a lot of coughing lately.Ī cough is a common symptom of these sorts of respiratory infections, and coughing is a complaint that leads to an estimated 30 million office visits every year.

A long-lasting cough following illness from an upper respiratory infection is surprisingly common. When was the last time you walked into a public space and didn’t hear someone coughing? After three years of flinching at the sound, it can be disarming to hear so many people coughing – and embarrassing if it’s you.īut take heart in knowing that you’re not alone.

Cause of nocturnal cough