A barking cough is a loud, harsh cough caused by respiratory inflammation or blockage, often associated with croup. It can also be caused by other infections, ingested objects, or psychological factors. While croup is treatable, other diseases like whooping cough and epiglottitis can be fatal. Barking cough can also occur for psychological or neurological reasons.
A barking cough is a loud, hoarse, harsh-sounding cough caused by inflammation or other blockage of the respiratory system, especially in and around the larynx and trachea, which interferes with the normal passage of air. Its name refers to the sound of barking seals, which it resembles. It is most commonly the result of a viral or bacterial infection, but can also be caused by an ingested object stuck in the airway or by psychological and neuropsychiatric factors. It is best known as one of the symptoms of croup.
Barking cough is one of the most prominent symptoms of croup infections, especially in young children. Croup is an umbrella term that can be applied to similar conditions caused by a variety of pathogens that can infect the larynx, bronchi and trachea and interfere with the sufferer’s breathing by causing the airways to swell. Viral causes of croup include parainfluenza, influenza, and human respiratory syncytial viruses, while bacterial causes include Corynebacterium diphtheriae, better known as diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis.
The infection causes the croup sufferer to cough frequently as their respiratory system tries to clear itself. The swelling’s interference with normal airflow causes the characteristic barking sound. The swelling causes croup sufferers’ voices to become hoarse, and in severe cases can produce a high-pitched noise when breathing, called stridor. Croup is treatable and is not usually a serious medical problem, provided it is treated properly, although it can sometimes require hospitalization and in rare cases can be fatal. It is especially dangerous for small children due to narrower airways.
Other diseases that cause barking cough are more likely to pose serious health risks. A barking cough can be caused by whooping cough, also known as whooping cough, a disease caused by infection with the Bordetella pertussis bacterium. Pertussis causes frequent and severe coughing fits, and the name whooping cough comes from the noise commonly made by pertussis sufferers as they struggle to draw in air once the fit has stopped. The infection is potentially fatal, especially in children, but is rare in developed countries due to widespread vaccination.
An occasionally barking cough appears as a symptom of epiglottitis, although severe stridor without cough is more common. Epiglottitis is often caused by the same pathogens associated with croup, such as Haemophilus influenzae, and also causes inflammation and constriction of the sufferer’s airways. It is considerably more dangerous than croup, however, and can rapidly cause fatal respiratory failure within hours of onset, unless the sufferer is hospitalized.
Barking cough sometimes occurs for psychological or neurological reasons rather than any physical problem in the respiratory system. This is common in people with Tourette syndrome, who produce involuntary vocalizations that often include coughing. Children who have recovered from a respiratory illness may develop a cough habit that persists after the original cause of the cough has disappeared.
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