Why does laughing cause coughing

A common cause of chronic coughing fits is smoking. However, if you do not smoke then there are several other possible causes. These include nasal allergies, or allergic rhinitis, which causes inflammation of the lining of the nasal passage leading to dripping of mucus down the throat and a chronic irritating cough.

It can be easily treated by your doctor with nasal steroid sprays and antihistamines. Another common cause of chronic cough is asthma. Although we often think of asthma as causes wheezing, sometimes it presents only with cough, especially cough at night or with exercise. Your primary care doctor can diagnose this and provide you with treatment if necessary. Zocdoc Answers is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor in the United States immediately. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. Need coronavirus guidance? Peter Dicpinigaitis, MD The human cough, recently caught on film by schlieren photography as featured in the New York Times , accounts for over 26 million office visits annually.

It is a topic of burgeoning research, emerging treatment innovations, and a great deal of ongoing mystery, according to Dr. However, when a pathological cough persists without serving any useful purpose, it can be highly irritating and disruptive, causing significant sleep disturbance, chest pain, urinary incontinence, frustration, anger, and depression.

Dicpinigaitis, who founded the Montefiore Cough Center, one of the few specialty cough centers in the United States. Despite the prevalence of cough, researchers have yet to fullyunderstand its mechanism and relationship with the brain. Stimulation of the vagus—a cranial nerve with motor function in the larynx, esophagus, lower respiratory tract, and ear—can stimulate the cough reflex.

The cough mystery presents a particular challenge to those who attempt to diagnose and treat it. According to Dicpinigaitis, physicians need to maintain the protective cough, an important barrier reflex that prevents complications like bronchitis, pneumonia, and lung collapse, but eliminate the maladaptive cough. Manypatients cough due to post-nasal drip, or upper airway cough syndrome UACS. Coughing inflames the sensory afferent nerves those that carry messages from receptors to the central nervous system.

Leukotrienes, lipid mediators whose production also generates histamines, are thought to contribute to the inflammation. Asthma therapy usually a combination of inhaled bronchodilators and steroids can take up to eight weeks to show improvement. An oral leukotriene receptor antagonist known as zafirlukast has in some cases been more effective than steroids in reducing asthma-associated cough, possibly because it more effectively suppresses the interaction of eosinophils white blood cells that fight concomitant infection during asthmatic reaction with cough receptors.

Thank goodness we all still have a sense of humor! I have found that I cough at times with laughing too. I noticed that I started to cough when I laugh a few months ago, mostly while on the phone. I see the respiratory doctor next week.

I am noticing a lot of unwelcome changes. Hi Deed ,. It sure is interesting, and frustrating because as Karen shared — laughing can be so uplifting and important to our coping! My diagnosis is hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which might be different from yours. However, I initially experienced the same sort of violent debilitating coughing which left me exhausted with aching abdominal muscles.

This could be induced by cold air, hot air, humid air pretty much any air , talking, and, as you say, laughing. I have often tried to use humor to take the edge off difficult situations. So, I used to joke that coughing was the only exercise I got, until the coughing discouraged any laughing, on my part.

A visit to my ENT produced a satisfactory solution. After testing various dosages, she prescribed gabapentin; mg three times a day. This may not be a medically accurate interpretation, on my part, but it is easy for me to imagine. Gabapentin does have side effects, which must be balanced against the benefits.

For me, the most significant side effect is a general numbness, especially in my feet and legs. This causes me to be a bit unsteady and I probably have a bit of a gait. However, the violent coughing was actually scaring people; some worried about being infected, others worried that I could be having a real medical emergency.

Hi, Daryl — Thanks so much for this tip. I will speak to my consultant about it when I see him in August. Best wishes, Wendy. A little back story, I have had a noticeable decrease in my breathing abilities in the last few months. He said that I have a lung infection and have been put on Prednisone, antibiotics, 2 more inhalers and a Aerobika.

Apparently my lungs are full of mucous and the other doctors did not pick this up. I should not have settled for a diagnosis from a doctor that is not aware of lung issues. Next time I will either get in to see the Respiratory doctor difficult to see in a hurry or go to the ER. I was not able to ask the questions I had planned due to this new information. My dogs are my joy, I own a father and son duo. They take good care of me. It has been a few days — how is the lung infection and all the treatments for it coming along?

Prednisone is nasty stuff but it sure can be effective! I hope it is working for the mucous in your lungs, that would feel terrible. Sorry you were misdiagnosed, that is awful. Will you have a chance to ask the questions you wanted to at your next appointment? How wonderful to hear of your dogs! Pulmonary Fibrosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease.

It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.