4. Persistent Cough: The Unexpected Warning
A persistent, unexplained cough can be incredibly bothersome. We’re not talking about the kind of cough that comes and goes with a common cold or the flu. Instead, this is a persistent cough, one that doesn’t seem to let up, even in the absence of other symptoms of a respiratory infection.
The cough associated with thyroid cancer isn’t the type that comes along with a runny nose, a sore throat, or fever – common symptoms that we often associate with a respiratory infection. Instead, this cough tends to be dry, chronic, and not responsive to common cough remedies.
You might be wondering how a condition affecting the thyroid gland could result in a cough. The answer again lies in the anatomy of the throat.
The thyroid gland is located near the windpipe (trachea), and as a tumor in the thyroid grows, it can begin to press against or invade the windpipe. This pressure or invasion irritates the windpipe and triggers a cough reflex, leading to persistent coughing.
Unlike a typical cough that is the body’s response to clear out irritants in the upper airway, this type of cough persists because the underlying irritant (the tumor) remains in place. Since over-the-counter cough remedies are designed to soothe temporary irritation, they are typically ineffective against a cough caused by thyroid cancer. (4)
