Cough rhythms in asthma: Potential implication for management

Increasing nocturnal cough signals worsening asthma and treatment escalation. Diurnal variation in airway resistance peaking at around 4:00 am may cause increased early morning symptoms. However, objective cough frequency measurements suggest that mean nighttime cough frequency is actually lower than mean cough frequency during the daytime. Hourly cough frequency would provide more information about the fluctuation in cough rates over 24 hours and could provide an insight into the mechanisms controlling cough in asthma.