Is "Katrina Cough" Real? 

The term "Katrina cough" emerged in the New Orleans area in the months following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Gulf Coast residents noticed they were having ongoing lung and respiratory problems characterized by persistent coughing. They began to suspect those problems had been caused by toxins, pollutants and dust stirred up by the hurricane and subsequent clean up efforts. 

In the year that followed Katrina, doctors reported they were seeing more patients who complained of chronic coughing, congestion, runny nose, sore throat and headaches.

Doctors can't say definitely if these respiratory complaints are related to Katrina or not. A study by the American Lung Association of Louisiana, with approximately 1600 people participating, revealed that 1 in 4 of those tested had reduced lung function.

But a similar study by the Louisiana Office of Public Health showed no increase in the rate of New Orleans-area respiratory illnesses among those who showed up at hospital emergency rooms.

Some researchers have noted that stress and anxiety caused by an event like Katrina can aggravate respiratory conditions people already have (like asthma). Plus, people who have seasonal allergies may be more sensitive to them psychologically because of the trauma of the storm.

While scientific proof may be in short supply, many people are still convinced Katrina Cough is real. Anyone who still has what they believe to be Katrina cough should be careful how they try to cope.

Doctors warn that cough treatments that include suppressants may help you stop coughing, but may actually be counterproductive. Coughing helps you blast irritants out of your respiratory system. If you suppress the cough, there's less chance of expelling them. In other words, cough suppressants keep you from coughing, but they don't address the root cause of the problem, and may even delay your recovery.

Health officials recommend the following if you're worried about Katrina cough.

• use an N95 filter mask to reduce the number of particles inhaled, and
• wash out the particles from the nose and sinuses with nasal irrigation (usually a saline solution)

If your persistent cough continues, try inhaling steam with your tongue out. This may relieve your symptoms by allowing warm moist air to flow into your lungs. But keep in mind, using a steamer can add humidity, which facilitates the growth of mold. Mold could be one of the causes of your cough in the first place.

And finally, try to find out more information about a study now being conducted by Henry Glindmeyer, a professor of pulmonary, critical care and environmental medicine at Tulane. Glindmeyer is carrying out a five-year study of approximately 1,000 Gulf Coast residents to determine if workers in New Orleans face risks from inhalant exposure to minute particles such as mold, fungi or bacteria that may be related to the aftermath of the storm.

You can learn more about it by e-mailing KatrinaWorkerStudy@tulane.edu or by calling  504-988-3846.