What Environmental Factors Can Trigger a Cough?

Dust, smoke, strong scents, cold air and air pollution can trigger coughing, especially in people with a sensitive cough reflex. Workplace dust and gases may also contribute to chronic cough.

Why Can a Cough Continue After Common Causes Are Ruled Out?

A cough can persist when the airway cough reflex becomes unusually sensitive, even after common causes have been excluded.

Cough is a protective reaction (reflex) of the airways but can become a disease when this reflex is dysregulated. At times when the known causes of cough have been excluded, a group of patients with unexplained cough remains.

What Environmental Triggers Can Cause a Dry or Chronic Cough?

Strong smells, smoke, chemicals and cold air may provoke coughing in people with cough hypersensitivity. The effect can depend on the exposure and individual health.

Do you know what triggers dry cough?

A distinct form of chronic cough has been identified in some people, where the cough reflex (reaction) becomes unusually sensitive. Cough is often triggered by everyday environmental allergens such as strong smells, cold air, smoke, chemicals, and scents in these patients.

More than 60% of patients with chronic cough report that coughing could be induced by environmental allergens.

Chemical sensitivity cough shows symptoms from the eyes, nose, and lungs, as well as headaches and fatigue.

Given below are the factors that can be the possible causes of cough and how it presents.

• The type of trigger
• How strong it is
• How long you are exposed to it
• Your individual health (age and existing medical conditions)

Which Indoor, Outdoor and Workplace Exposures Can Trigger Coughing?

Allergens, tobacco smoke, air pollutants and dampness are possible environmental triggers. Workplace exposure to dust, gases and certain metals can also contribute to cough.

Nonoccupational Environmental Causes of Cough

• Allergens - dust mite, animal or cockroach allergens, fungi and pollen
• Irritant agents - cigarette smoke, tobacco smoke, indoor biomass
• Other factors – dampness, perfume, fungal components, talking or eating, cold air
• Air pollutants - traffic, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides

Occupational causes

• Occupational dust and gas
• Metals - cobalt, Beryllium
• Sealed office buildings - psychosocial stress, temperature/humidity control complaints, poor building maintenance, and volatile organic compound exposures

What Can You Do to Reduce Exposure to Cough Triggers?

Reducing exposure to irritants and improving indoor air quality may help limit environmental cough triggers. The original article also recommends masks in some public settings and good indoor ventilation.

You can't prevent a cough, but you can lower the chances of getting sick in the first place.

Self-care Outdoors:

Wear a mask at:

• Crowded areas
• On public transport
• Waiting to see your doctor

Self-care Indoors:

• Good ventilation, clean filtered air in a room.
• Open doors and windows to allow a good flow of air.
• Use an air purifier to lower the spread of the virus.

Stay aware and protect yourself from everyday triggers and breathe with confidence.