4. Chronic Cough: An Unexpected Yet Troubling Sign
Coughing here and there is no big deal, but when it persists and seems to connect with your eating habits, it’s time to take notice. A chronic cough is more than just an inconvenience; it’s a vocal messenger from your body, telling you something’s not quite right. You might not connect a cough to your esophagus right away, but it can indeed be a symptom of esophageal stricture.
When the esophagus narrows, it can disrupt the typical digestive flow, causing minor regurgitation that irritates the throat and triggers a cough. Think of it like a smoke detector going off for a tiny kitchen flare-up; the response may seem disproportionate, but it’s an alarm nonetheless. The cough serves as a protective mechanism for your body, attempting to clear what it perceives as an obstruction.
This type of cough is intriguing because it’s often not alleviated by cough medicine. Over-the-counter treatments target symptoms, not causes. Therefore, until the root issue in the esophagus is addressed, the cough persists. It’s like putting a band-aid on a crack in a dam; it’s not going to hold for long.(4)
