Dry cough without sputum is a cough with no sputum or little sputum that cannot be easily coughed out, mainly caused by irritation of the trachea and bronchi, and is one of the common symptoms of respiratory diseases.
Dry cough can be caused by diseases in different areas such as nasal cavity, trachea, bronchus, lung, stomach and esophagus, and its causes are various. The common causes of dry cough are as follows: (1) Infection: common cold, acute bronchitis, bronchial tuberculosis, acute sinusitis, etc. (2) Inflammation: pharyngitis, laryngitis, etc. (3) Allergic reactions: allergic rhinitis, cough variant asthma, etc. (4) Others: inhalation of irritating odors, airway foreign bodies, bronchial ulcers, compression by parabronchial masses, interstitial lung fibrosis, pleural inflammation and various irritations, mediastinal disease irritating the bronchi, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hypertensive patients taking ACEI (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) type drugs, etc.
When dry cough without sputum is present, the first step is to identify the cause, and a visit to internal medicine, Chinese medicine, or respiratory medicine is recommended for patients over 12 years of age. If the dry cough is uncomfortable, cough suppressants can be used and are recommended to be used under the guidance of a physician.