Patients with both of these conditions have a higher incidence of acid reflux infection, and if treating the sleep apnea then acid reflux may improve, which may then improve whooping cough, said Krishna M. Sundar, MD, clinical professor, Department of Pulmonary, Department of Medicine, and medical director, Sleep-Wake Center, University of Utah.
Patients with both of these conditions have a higher incidence of acid reflux infection, and if treating the sleep apnea then acid reflux may improve, which may then improve whooping cough, said Krishna M. Sundar, MD, clinical professor, Department of Pulmonary, Department of Medicine, and medical director, Sleep-Wake Center, University of Utah.
Transcription
How are chronic cough and sleep apnea interconnected?
During sleep apnea, the upper airway collapses. There is therefore regular closure and reopening of the upper airway. So there is a high level of airway pressure, which can damage zero endings in the airway. These zero endings may be important in a type of intervention or they may be important in a kind that leads to so-called neuropathic changes, which we now think are the basis for this harmful cough. So that is one explanation.
The other thing is that these patients are more likely to have acid reflux disease. So if we treat sleep apnea, that acid reflux gets better and that could improve whooping cough.
And third, there may also be an impact when someone goes on CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure], the mask and the device at night, there is a degree of lung inflation, which can directly affect whooping cough.