Cough Hypersensitivity Syndrome – A Major Advance in the Understanding of Chronic Cough

Abstract

Cough is a common complaint that often necessitates a visit to a primary care provider,1 but tpically resolves spontaneously within a few weeks. Chronic cough, which is a cough that has lasted for more than 8 weeks, is a more difficult condition to manage and satisfactory control is not achieved in a substantial number of patients.2 It has been suggested that many cases of chronic cough may share a common mechanism: that of a hypersensitive cough response.3 This has led to the definition of a new disease entity: cough hypersensitivity syndrome (CHS).4–6 In an expert interview, Professor Kian Fan Chung of the National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College and the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust, London, UK, discusses CHS and the recent advances in our understanding of this condition that is leading to the development of novel treatment approaches.