Does acid reflux cause cough?

Reflux can reach the lower throat and irritate sensitive tissues, causing throat clearing, hoarseness, or a dry cough. The cough may be worse after meals, when bending, or during the night. Some people have these symptoms without a strong burning sensation. Cough also commonly follows infections, allergies, asthma, smoking, and certain medicines, so a reflux explanation should be checked rather than assumed.

Keep a symptom diary showing meals, position, cough timing, and any sour taste or regurgitation. Eat slowly, choose smaller meals, and stay upright after eating. Avoid lying down soon after food and discuss persistent symptoms with a pharmacist or clinician. If you use a medicine that may cause cough, do not stop it without professional advice; ask whether an alternative should be considered.

Arrange a medical review for a cough that persists, repeatedly disturbs sleep, or comes with wheezing, fever, swallowing difficulty, voice change, or unexplained weight loss. Seek urgent help for severe breathing difficulty, blue lips, coughing blood, sudden chest pain, or fainting. Children, older adults, and people with lung disease may need earlier advice.

Ask whether reflux, asthma, allergy, infection, or a medicine could be contributing. Tell the clinician whether the cough is dry or productive, when it began, whether it is worse at night, and whether heartburn, hoarseness, breathlessness, or swallowing problems accompany it.