Hi,
Acid reflux/
GERD is one of the most common causes of a persistent cough. The majority of people with a GERD-induced cough don’t have classic symptoms of the disease such as
heartburn.
Chronic cough can be caused by acid reflux or the reflux of nonacidic stomach contents.
Some clues as to whether a chronic cough is caused by GERD include: coughing mostly at night or after a meal, coughing that occurs while you’re lying down, persistent coughing that occurs even when common causes are absent, such as
smoking or taking medications (including ACE inhibitors) in which coughing is a side effect, coughing without
asthma or postnasal drip, or when chest X-rays are normal.
GERD can be difficult to diagnose in people who have a chronic cough but no heartburn symptoms. Try using OTC medication like
Gaviscon to see if symptoms improves. Otherwise, your doctor can put you on PPI's drugs which can reduce reflux to check if the cough is resolving. Test like the 24-hour pH probe, which monitors esophageal pH, is also an effective test for people with chronic cough. Another test, known as MII-pH, can detect nonacid reflux as well.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Ayesha Shareef