Why You Should Try Speech Therapy for Chronic Cough
Do you or someone you love have a cough that has been lingering for over 8 weeks? It’s likely that you’re experiencing what’s known as chronic cough or refractory chronic cough. It’s a common symptom that can be debilitating and frustrating to deal with.
Keep on reading to find out more about what causes chronic cough and how seeing a Speech Pathologist for targeted speech therapy can help to reduce and control your chronic cough.
What is Chronic Cough?
As we’ve already mentioned, a cough is considered ‘chronic’ or refractory if it has continued to be present over the course of 8 weeks in adults, or 4 weeks in children. It is often viewed as an ‘intractable problem’ – meaning that it is hard to deal with, and that many individuals seek multiple points of medical input to try and deal with the cough that refuses to go away.
Repeated coughing has a number of negative side effects. Chronic cough creates a vicious cycle where once you have coughed, you will often feel the need to take a big breath and cough again. By doing this you are effectively “feeding” the cough as each big breath further irritates the lungs and throat and stimulates a cough.
Negative side effects of chronic cough include redness and swelling around the voice box and upper airway, increasing thickened secretions around the voice box, as well as an impact on quality of life with disruption of sleep and breathing patterns, urinary incontinence (stress), hernias, and back pain.
What Causes Chronic Cough?
Chronic cough can be caused by a variety of different conditions. Asthma or other breathing problems, allergies, or post-nasal drip, acid reflux (stomach acid that rises into the throat), colds, bronchitis, laryngeal sensitivity, and certain medications can all contribute to a cough becoming chronic.1
Speech Therapy for Chronic Cough
If you have been recommended to see a Speech Pathologist for your chronic cough, you may be a little surprised at first. It’s true – we don’t just help people with their speech! At Speak and Swallow, we enjoy being able to support individuals with chronic cough to reduce their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Speech therapy for chronic cough has been shown to be an effective way to manage and treat chronic cough.2 Working with a Speech Pathologist will often involve vocal hygiene training, cough suppression strategies and education to help you manage your symptoms and gain conscious control over your coughing.3
At Speak and Swallow, our Speech Pathologists work closely with you and your doctors to develop a treatment approach which will often include behavioural and medical intervention. By identifying the underlying cause, developing a comprehensive treatment plan, and providing support/counselling, you’ll be able to effectively manage their chronic cough.
To find out more about our Speech Pathology services in North Brisbane, visit our dedicated website page about chronic cough now.
If you are located elsewhere in Australia and are seeking speech pathology support, we recommend using the Speech Pathology Australia registry to find a local clinician to support you in your speech therapy journey.