Extract
Chronic cough is a debilitating symptom affecting approximately one in ten of the general population and leading to impaired quality of life and social exclusion [1]. Many individuals with chronic cough localise their symptoms to the throat area and report sensations such as a “persistent tickling”, “irritation” or “blockage” in the throat [2]. They also often describe that symptoms are provoked by non-specific environmental triggers, such as exposure to scents or odours. In many patients, there is also an apparent overlap between manifestations of laryngeal dysfunction, such as discomfort on swallowing with or without changes in voice quality. Overall, these phenomena may be attributed to an underlying laryngeal hypersensitivity (LHS) [3] and recognition of this entity in chronic cough may be important to help inform and select the optimum treatment strategy; e.g. preferential specialist speech and language therapy (SLT) intervention [4].
Abstract
Chronic cough (CC) is common. Recognition of laryngeal hypersensitivity (LHS) allows for targeted treatment. A throat visual analogue scale (VAS) allows for a rapid and simple method to detect LHS in CC and identifying targeted intervention. http://bit.ly/32zPFiK
Footnotes
Individual participant data that underlie the results in the article, after de-identification (text, tables, figures and appendices) will be available on request. Data will be available to anyone who wishes to access the data, for any purpose.
Author contributions: J.H. Hull and J. Selby developed the idea behind the study. B. Tidmarsh and J. Selby undertook patient visits and data collection. M.J. Pavitt and E.S. Walsted undertook the data analysis. J.H. Hull wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the final manuscript. J.H. Hull and J. Selby confirm full responsibility for the content of the manuscript. J.H. Hull affirms that this manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the data being reported; that no important aspects of the study have been omitted.
Conflict of interest: J.H. Hull has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: E.S. Walsted has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: M.J. Pavitt has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: B. Tidmarsh has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: J. Selby has nothing to disclose.
- Received September 3, 2019.
- Accepted October 31, 2019.
- Copyright ©ERS 2020