Post viral cough

Post-viral Cough is a lingering cough experienced following a viral respiratory tract infection usually a common cold or flu and lasting more than eight weeks. Post-viral cough is a clinically recognized condition represented within the European medical literature but is not mentioned in studies from America. Patients usually experience repeated episodes of post-viral cough. The heightened sensitivity in the respiratory tract is demonstrated by inhalation cough challenge.

Cause
One possible cause for post-viral cough is that the receptors that are responsible for stimulating the cough during the respiratory tract infection continue to do so after the virus has disappeared, up-regulated by respiratory tract infection.

Treatment
Post viral cough can be resistant to treatment. Inhaled steroids may work in some patients. Post-viral cough is usually treated the same way as a viral cough.