Persistent Cough

Some of the other conditions that can cause a persistent cough are very common conditions and some of them are rare. Usually, other symptoms that you may have can direct your doctor toward a diagnosis. If your cough is not explained, you should consider these problems together with your doctor:

- Angina (coronary artery disease)

- Congestive heart failure

- Aspiration of food or saliva due to abnormal swallowing

- Ear problems, such as debris in the ear canal

- Eosinophilic bronchitis, an asthma-like problem that does not quickly improve with bronchodilator inhaler treatments

- Lung cancer

- Bronchiectasis (airway scarring) from a serious prior lung infection

- An abscess in the lung

- Interstitial lung disease

- A vocal cord nodule

- Irritation of the diaphragm