GERD Cough: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Stop It

When your cough won't go away and no one can figure out why, it might not be a cold or allergies—it could be GERD cough, a chronic cough caused by stomach acid rising into the throat and irritating the airways. Also known as laryngopharyngeal reflux, this type of cough happens without the classic heartburn you'd expect, making it easy to miss. Unlike a cough from a virus, a GERD cough is dry, lasts weeks or months, and often gets worse at night or after meals. You might also notice a sour taste, hoarseness, or the feeling of something stuck in your throat—no fever, no runny nose, just irritation that won’t quit.

This isn’t just about stomach acid burning your esophagus. The real trouble starts when acid sneaks past the lower esophageal sphincter and reaches your voice box and lungs. That’s laryngopharyngeal reflux, a subtype of GERD where acid travels higher than usual, triggering coughing, throat clearing, and even asthma-like symptoms. Many people think they have postnasal drip or allergies because their nose isn’t running, but the real culprit is acid that’s not being treated. Even worse, doctors often prescribe inhalers or antihistamines first—wasting time while the damage keeps building.

What makes this so tricky is that you don’t need to feel heartburn to have it. Studies show up to 75% of people with chronic GERD cough never have typical reflux symptoms. Instead, they wake up coughing, sound hoarse by midday, or feel like they’re choking after eating. The proton pump inhibitors, medications that block stomach acid production like omeprazole or esomeprazole are the first-line fix, but they only work if taken correctly—usually 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner. Skipping doses or taking them with food cuts their power by half.

And it’s not just pills. Lifestyle changes matter more than most people realize. Lying down within three hours of eating? That’s a trigger. Wearing tight belts or eating large meals? That’s adding pressure. Even chocolate, coffee, and spicy food can relax the valve that keeps acid down. You don’t need to cut out everything at once—start with one change: no food after 7 p.m. and elevate the head of your bed by six inches. Simple, cheap, and surprisingly effective.

What you’ll find in the posts below isn’t a list of random articles. It’s a practical toolkit for people who’ve been told "it’s just a cough" but know something’s off. You’ll see how acid reflux connects to asthma, why some medications make it worse, how to tell if your cough is from GERD or something else, and what real patients have tried that actually worked. No fluff. No guesses. Just clear, tested info to help you finally get relief.