The head and neck area have a very intricate nerve supply for sensations of sight, smell, taste and hearing. In addition there are reflexes for balance, blinking eyes and swallowing. Many of these parts and supporting head and neck organs share similar sensory nerves that also feed into the brain's cough center. Needless to say during a 'busy day' signals could get mixed telling the brain to cough by mistake. For example, cleaning your ear with a cotton tip swab may cause a tickle, gag or cough in your throat area. Walking out of a dark theater into bright sunlight may cause sneezing. Finally, laughing hard or looking up quickly may stimulate coughing under right circumstances. These examples illustrate that almost any structure in the head or neck could induce coughing under the right circumstances. Therefore it is important to look for unusual causes such as ear infections, thyroid problems, disorders causing hoarseness, swallowing disorders, and nasal problems. This type of diagnosis takes persistence on both patient and physician. A clear and accurate history of events leading to the cough is very important. Please consult your physician. Please see Neck Cough: General Therapy