Living with chronic cough

Steve

Patient living with IPF-related chronic cough

“Cough has taken a part of my life away. Part of my dignity. My self-respect.”

Steve is 69 years old and has been living with chronic cough for 2 years. He describes chronic cough as painful, isolating, and difficult to control. It has affected his ability to teach at his job, socialize, and enjoy one of the things he loves most, motorcycling.

What Steve Shared:

• “Most people have no clue what chronic cough is and how debilitating it can be.”
• “Cough has taken a part of my life away. Part of my dignity. My self-respect.”
• “The average cough is much more controllable. You take a throat lozenge or drink a cup of water and you’re good to go for the most part. Whereas with this chronic cough, when it comes, you have no control.”

Impact on Daily Life:

• Painful coughing episodes that can trigger headaches and back pain
• Stopped teaching at his job because coughing interrupted lectures
• Feels isolated and less comfortable being around friends and family

Theresa

Patient living with Sjögren's autoimmune ILD-related chronic cough and her husband

“A treatment for my chronic cough would give me so much peace back.”

Theresa is 57 years old and has been living with chronic cough for over 20 years. Theresa and her husband Ron share how chronic cough has shaped daily life, relationships, and routines over many years. Their story highlights both the patient and caregiver experience.

What Theresa Shared:

• “What I wish people would understand about cough is that we can't always just, go take an antibiotic or an inhaler and make it go away. It's with me. It's part of who I am.”
• “My cough can be so severe that it just goes and goes until the point where I have to vomit.”
• “I love a good belly laugh, but it triggers a chronic cough.”

What Ron Shared:

• “As a caregiver, I really feel helpless a lot of the times because there’s not a lot that you can do.”
• “I feel that if the chronic cough would go away, that we would be able to go out to dinner more often, possibly go to movies, and it would make me feel better knowing that Theresa’s feeling better.”

Impact on Daily Life:

• Cough can be triggered by talking, laughing, weather, and daily activities
• Her husband describes feeling helpless when coughing episodes take over
• Has affected outings, movies, dinners, and everyday comfort

“It has completely robbed me of my life.”

Renée is 35 years old and has been living with chronic cough for 4 years. She describes chronic cough as an endless cycle of shortness of breath, exhaustion, and isolation. She shares how it has changed daily routines, work, social activities, and her sense of freedom.

What Renée Shared:

• “Chronic cough isn't just a tickle in the throat. It’s an itch that you just can’t scratch, and it’s so deep within your lungs there’s just nothing that can be done about it.”
• “Every activity that I do, I have to think about how a cough might impact me.”
• “Coughing over 1,000 times a day is very physically exhausting and very painful.”
• “Any reduction in my chronic cough would give me life back.”

Impact on Daily Life:

• Could no longer speak or present comfortably at work without coughing
• Has tried 15+ medications without meaningful relief
• Describes coughing as physically and emotionally exhausting
• Misses everyday moments like laughing, singing, and going out