title: Reflux cough.
abstract: Cough can be an extraesophageal manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease. This article summarizes recent progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the reflux cough syndrome. Recent studies have provided further evidence for a role of weakly acidic gastroesophageal reflux in inducing cough. It has also been established that although reflux may induce cough, cough may also trigger reflux in some patients, and distinguishing between the two requires objective detection of cough burst (ie, by esophageal manometry). Treatment of the reflux cough syndrome is an issue of ongoing controversy and further studies.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine K.U. Leuven, Lab G-I Physiopathology, O&N Gasthuisberg, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blondeau
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sifrim
authors.forename: Lieven
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tack
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D013577:Syndrome