Living with a chronic cough

The expert view

In the UK between 4% and 12% of people in the UK* suffer from a chronic, or persistent, cough – defined as a cough lasting more than eight weeks. 

Our expert of choice for the topic of chronic cough is Professor James Hull, Consultant Respiratory Physician at the Institute of Sport, Exercise & Health (ISEH) - part of HCA Healthcare UK. 

We talk to Professor Hull about Gefapixant, a new drug for treating chronic, refractory or unexplained coughs, which received approval in the UK recently. 

“Anyone who’s had a cough for a few days will know the very irritating sensation you can feel, that persists and disrupts your ability to do things,” he says. “Now imagine having this sensation every day, for years. It impacts your ability to go out and socialise, be in public spaces and speak to others.”

And it’s not just the cough itself that’s the issue, as Professor Hull explains: “Coughing a lot can cause physical problems, such as muscle and rib pain, headaches, nausea and dizziness. In some extreme cases, it can also cause people to vomit, or feel like they’re about to pass out, and even develop incontinence.”

Professor Hull does see some hope on the horizon, however. “The recent UK approval of Gefapixant, offers an entirely new approach to treating chronic cough, and is a major advance in this field. The drug, which is taken orally, works by blocking receptors in the sensory nerves that control coughing and reduces their hypersensitivity.

“I’m hopeful that Gefapixant can provide desperately needed relief for chronic cough sufferers.”

Rebecca’s story

Rebecca**, a former patient of Professor Hull, describes how the chronic cough she’s had for more than 10 years stops her from living a normal life.

“The cough is very annoying. It seems to be linked with smells and humidity, so it gets worse when I'm in a room with several people in it. I avoid large gatherings and often have to leave the room even in small gatherings. It makes me very self-conscious, so I have a very restricted social life.

“I’m continuing to take Spiriva Respimat which suppresses my cough, but, it only provides a small relief. I’ve also tried speech therapy, and find the techniques of breath control are sometimes helpful.”

“I can, if necessary, cough only internally. In other words, I convulse instead of coughing. This is painful, but it helps me to know that I have this as a coping mechanism if I’m at a public event.”

New treatment, new hope

Rebecca’s cough is chronic, unexplained, and has had a huge impact on her day-to-day life. After years of suffering, Rebecca is hopeful that the new treatment, Gefapixant, could help control her cough, and finally allow her to lead a normal life – something she’s been unable to do since it first developed in 2010.

“It would be wonderful if this new drug could control my cough. I’m just about managing, but it’s got much worse over the years, so I’m fearful for the future.”

*Reference: New drug could be ‘gamechanger’ for chronic cough sufferers | Health | The Guardian

**Name changed at the request of the patient