Acute cough and chronic cough are symptoms of conditions that may require medical attention. The cause of cough may not be immediately apparent. In the case of chronic cough, more than one cause may simultaneously be at work. A full medical examination and laboratory tests may be necessary to arrive at a correct diagnosis and effective treatment. In the greatest majority of cases, the specific cause of cough can be diagnosed and successfully treated with therapy specific for the cause.
Specific therapy is so often successful that there is a limited role for nonspecific medicines.
Postnasal Drip Syndrome PNDS is the most frequent cause of both acute and chronic cough. PNDS plus one or two other conditions, such as GERD, are often involved in chronic cough. The person with PNDS usually has recently had a cold, or suffers from allergic rhinitis, or suffers from acute or chronic sinusitis. Treatment of cough due to PNDS is determined by the diagnosis, including diagnosis of underlying conditions such as sinusitis. Asthma Asthma is a common cause of chronic cough in both children and adults.