Cough: A Reflex That Disrupts Interpersonal Communication.

OBJECTIVES

The present study investigated the impact of chronic cough on the communication skills of patients.

METHODS

Two hundred adult patients with chronic cough (group 1, study group) and 196 healthy adult subjects without cough (group 2, control) were included in the study. The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) and Communicative Competence Scale (CCS) were administered to both groups.

RESULTS

Leicester Cough Questionnaire scores for the chronic cough group were significantly lower than those of the control group ( P < 0.000). Since higher scores indicate better QoL, Group 1's QoLs were worse than those of the control group. The Communicative Competence Scale (CCS) scores for the chronic cough group were also significantly lower than those of the control group ( P < 0.000).

CONCLUSION

The authors' results indicate that chronic cough is associated with lower communication values and a poorer quality of life (QoL) for patients. Chronic cough can lead to a decrease in communication skills, potentially resulting in social problems. A decline in quality of life (QoL) is also observed in these patients. Therefore, timely and effective treatment of the cough is essential.