Warning over medication taken by MILLIONS that can trigger painful cough that lasts for months on end

One of the most commonly taken drugs in the UK can trigger a debilitating cough that takes up to three months to disappear, a GP has warned.

Ace inhibitors, used to treat high blood pressure, account for around 65million prescriptions in the UK every year.

The drugs, which include Ramipril, Lisinopril and Captopril, work by widening the blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body.

This in turn lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow to and from the heart.

But these drugs can also lead to the accumulation of proteins in the airways that cause irritation.

This results in a persistent cough, UK based GP Dr Suraj Kukadia warned.

In a TikTok watched 119,500 times, he said: 'Any of these [ace inhibitor drugs] can cause irritation to the airway which can lead to a dry cough that can be chronic'.

'This is one of the most common side effects of the medication', the GP who goes by Dr Sooj added.

According to the British Heart Foundation, around one in ten people who take the drugs can experience a dry, irritating cough, which can take up to 12 weeks to disappear once patients stop taking the medication.

'It usually settles within the first month but it might take a bit longer', Dr Kooj said.

'If you can persevere with it, carry on, if not, it will be worth having a chat with your clinician to see if you can be changed to something else'.

Other side effects include feeling dizzy or lightheaded, headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea, a mild skin rash and blurred vision.

Less than one in 100 people will also experience reduced kidney function — medically known as renal stenosis.

Around one in three adults in the UK have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, which is roughly 14million people.

However, it is estimated that around five million remain undiagnosed and therefore unmedicated.

It is the third biggest risk factor for heart disease in the UK after smoking and poor diet.

Although high blood pressure does not cause symptoms, taking medicines can help prevent complications like heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.

In the video, shared with his 237,600 followers, Dr Kooj shared two other lesser-known reasons why a persistent cough might not respond to traditional treatments, like antibiotics.

'Around one in four people with a chronic cough will have asthma' Dr Kooj said.

'You might have asthma if you have breathlessness or wheeze, if your symptoms are worse first thing in the morning, last thing at night or even or exercise or exertion or even if you're exposed to allergens.'

Asthma affects the airways, or breathing tubes, that carry air in and out of the lungs, causing them to become inflamed.

The respiratory condition affects around 7.2million people in the UK and usually starts in childhood.

It can be triggered by high levels of air pollution, cold air or allergens such as pollen, dust and mould.

The main treatment for asthma are medicines breathed in through an inhaler, which work to control the disease by reducing the number of blood cells that contribute to lung inflammation.

'There is a very clear stepwise approach to asthma management,' Dr Kooj said.

'We use inhalers to try and open up the airways and reduce inflammation.'

If inhalers are not enough to stop symptoms - including shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing - doctors might recommend a stronger inhaler or tablets that make breathing easier, Dr Kooj said.

Finally, the GP and emergency doctor suggested that a cough that lasts for weeks of months on end might actually be whopping cough.

Medically known as pertussis, whooping cough, is a serious infection of the breathing tubes.

'Its not a conspiracy theory, doctors aren't trying to hide it from you', Dr Kooj said.

'The first two to three weeks is usually very similar to any other viral infection with cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle aches and tiredness.

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'It is usually in the second phase where you start developing this really loud inspiratory whoop in between coughing fits.

'You have very severe coughing and you may vomit after a cough.

'If you're deemed to have whooping cough and you're early in your illness you might be given some antibiotics,' he added.

The best way to prevent whooping cough, experts advise, it by getting the vaccine which doctors often give in combination with vaccines against two other serious diseases, diphtheria and tetanus.

Whooping cough occurs when bacteria attaches to tiny hairs in the throat and nose and release toxins that cause airways to swell.

It protects babies in the first few months of their life, when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines.