Chronic cough is one of the complaints we frequently encounter in childhood. A cough that lasts longer than four weeks is called chronic cough.
The causes of chronic cough may vary depending on the age group. As the age of the child decreases, the importance of early diagnosis of organic causes of cough increases.
The most common causes of chronic cough include postnasal drip syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux and asthma. Viral infections are also one of the common causes. Passive smoking, air pollution, and allergens in the home environment are some of the important reasons that can lead to recurrent and chronic cough in children.
The severity of the cough is not always proportional to the size of the underlying pathology. In a patient presenting with cough, detailed history taken from the patient, detailed examination of the patient and listening findings are of great importance. It should be questioned whether the cough is dry or phlegmy, at what time of the day it is more intense, the duration and frequency of the cough, the reasons that increase the cough, the season or seasons in which the cough is particularly seen, and whether there are complaints of cough in the family and close relatives. It is important whether the patient has concurrent complaints of fever, runny nose or congestion, wheezing, shortness of breath, weight loss, or sweating. Whether the cough is accompanied by cold symptoms is important for differential diagnosis.
Chronic cough may be caused by interstitial lung diseases in a patient with growth retardation and clubbing fingers, and fine rales are heard in lung auscultation findings, whereas in a patient with asthma, lung auscultation findings are mostly normal except for moments of asthma attack.
In addition to lung auscultation findings, detailed oropharynx, nasal, nasal mucosa and nasal turbinate examinations are important in patients presenting with cough complaints.
Causes of cough include foreign body aspiration, immune deficiencies, cystic fibrosis, tumors such as teratoma or neuroblastoma in infants, primary ciliary dyskinesia (Kartagener Syndrome), the presence of congenital structural anomalies, congenital or acquired diseases. It is vital to exclude alpine diseases.
Detailed evaluation of the immune system in a patient with chronic cough is of great importance. The child's history should be taken in terms of other infections and diseases.
In cases where patients may experience swallowing problems such as dysphagia, cleft lip and palate, cerebral palsy, interstitial lung disease may develop due to micronutrient aspiration, recurrent lung infection, and patients may have chronic cough.
In order for cough to be treated correctly, a correct diagnosis is essential. Both the process that causes the patient's cough complaint and the physical examination findings are different in each patient, and making the correct diagnosis in the light of this information and examination findings is an indispensable condition for the correct treatment.
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