The burden of chronic cough can touch every part of life

From physical pain to emotional distress and social withdrawal, the impact of chronic cough is deeply felt for many patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and non-IPF interstitial lung diseases (non-IPF ILDs).

Chronic cough is a frequent experience for the majority of patients with IPF and non-IPF ILDs

60-70% of IPF patients have uncontrolled chronic cough 1

50-60% of non-IPF ILD patients have uncontrolled chronic cough 2,3

Patients with IPF can cough up to 1,500 times per day 4

Cough tends to be more frequent and severe during the daytime 5,6

Use the cough Discussion Guide to understand the severity of patients’ cough

“I get pain in my back, I get migraine headache. It’ll bend me over to the point where I can’t even stand up straight, it hurts.”

Steve
Patient living with IPF-related chronic cough

Listen to Steve's Story

Impact of Chronic Cough on Quality of Life (QoL)6-9

Chronic cough may place a heavy burden on patients with IPF and non-IPF ILDs. Patients describe their cough as physically exhausting and disruptive to daily activities. Beyond the physical symptoms, cough often affects emotional well-being, sleep, and social interactions as well.

Understand the causes of chronic cough

Greater Cough Severity is Associated with Worse Disease Outcomes10-12

For some patients, the burden of chronic cough may extend beyond daily impact and be associated with broader clinical outcomes.

Research suggests that increased cough severity and poorer cough-related quality of life may be associated with important clinical outcomes in patients with IPF and non-IPF ILDs.

In a prospective, multicenter study of patients with IPF, greater cough severity (VAS ≥30 mm) at baseline was independently associated with:10

Larger annualized decline in lung oxygen-transfer capacity

Higher likelihood of disease progression

Reduced transplant-free survival

Patients with IPF/ILD and severe cough-related QoL impairment had a significantly higher risk of respiratory hospitalization, death, or lung transplant compared with those with moderate or mild QoL impairment.12

Understanding how chronic cough affects your patients may provide additional insight into their overall experience.

Download the cough discussion guide

References

  1. Ryerson CJ et al. Resp. 2011 doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2011.01996.x
  2. Based on Pulmonologists who managed Non-IPF PF-ILD patients with chronic cough in the last 12 months, June 2022 (N=30)
  3. Trushenko NV et al. Diagnostics. 2025 doi: 10.3390/diagnostics15091139.
  4. Van Manen et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 191;2015:A4422
  5. Key AL et al. Cough. 2010;6:4.
  6. Mann J et al. Front Rehabil Sci. 2021;2:751798.
  7. Green R et al. Respir Res. 2024;25(1):325.
  8. Graham CS et al. BMC Pulm Med. 2025;25(1):221.
  9. Hirons B et al. Eur Respir J. 2022;60(suppl 66):7.
  10. Khor YH et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2024;210(8):1035-1044.
  11. Lung diffusion testing (DLCO). Cleveland Clinic. Published June 7, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/15445-dlco Accessed November 27, 2025.
  12. Lee J et al. Chest. 2022;162(3):603-613.