Most episodes of chronic cough in adults are caused by upper airway cough syndrome (UACS, also known as postnasal drip syndrome), asthma, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), alone or in combination. Chronic cough has two or more causes in 18 to 62 percent of patients, and three causes in up to 42 percent of patients.8,9 Empiric treatment should be initiated sequentially for the three most common causes of chronic cough until symptoms are resolved. Patients may need to be treated for multiple causes simultaneously; in such cases, treatments should be added to the primary regimen rather than replacing it.


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