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Article #15

AUDIENCE COMMENTS:

One viewer, after reading this summary, brought up to me an unusual and interesting symptom: coughing in her sleep.

I am just starting to research sleep apnea because in the past few months I have begun to have coughing fits in my sleep. I cough little during the day. Sometimes I remember the fits when I wake up- but many times I don't. Several years ago I was diagnosed with asthma, but have been asymptomatic with no medications for about 5 years (I moved out of LA). I have tried to use inhalers to control the coughing, but they aren't too effective. And twice in the past few months I have awakened gasping for air, and feeling as if the end of my windpipe was tingling and constricting. I have not yet been to my doctor about this; I am trying to gather information before I go. Anything else (re: coughing) you could refer to me would be greatly appreciated.

MY RESPONSE:

Her problem was unusual enough that I had to do some “research” before answering her as follows:
Normally, people don’t cough during sleep, but only after awakening; coughing is actually a complexly coordinated group of behaviors that seems to require wakefulness to take place, and is suppressed by sleep. So I haven’t heard anyone else complain of coughing during sleep as a symptom of sleep apnea. On the other hand, awakening from sleep due to other causes would allow coughing to take place. Your account of waking up gasping sounds more typical of sleep apnea. Often people describe themselves, or are described by their sleep partners, as choking while asleep and immediately on awkening. Sleep apnea does seem to be associated with irritation and inflammation of the upper airway, which may lead to coughing, as may another symptom sometimes associated with sleep apnea: gastroesophageal reflux, in which acidic stomach contents flow back up the esophagus with very irritant effect.
This certainly sounds like something to see a doctor about.

After looking back at my summary of Article #15 and thinking some more about it, I realized that coughing is in fact a typical symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which the study suggested could arise as a result of sleep apnea. But presumably this coughing would still be limited to waking.

Do you have your own comments to add? E-mail me at

kerrinwh@ix.netcom.com

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