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Chronic Cough: what might be the cause?
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) | Last Active: Nov 26, 2022 | Replies (40)Comment receiving replies
Hi, my mother is suffering from dry cough since 35 years. Although she did not have it persistently for many many years (occuring only once or twice in a month, recovering quickly) but lately, it has become part of her life. She is 56 years old and keeps coughing when someone cooks something (especially in oil), eats oily or spicy food, there is dust, etc. Doctors have asked her avoid all the aforementioned allergens, but it's very hard to avoid everything. It's so bad that she coughs every 10 to 20 minutes or in hour's gap. Her symptoms:
- coughs are dry
- she gets itch in the throat and that leads to coughing
- her eyes and nose waters when her throat itches
- she has to cough forcefully to pacify her throat
- when she goes to sleep, she gets cough
Anywhere we go, she coughs first. Anything she eat, she has to cough. She hasn't had proper sleep because she keeps waking up coughing.
It's heartbreaking for me to see her like this. Is there somone in this forum who has suffered from this kind of cough and can direct me in the right direction please? Has something worked for you?
Replies to "Hi, my mother is suffering from dry cough since 35 years. Although she did not have..."
Hi, I have had severe dry coughing spells for the last 3 years. I had throat cancer twice, and never smoked. Had extensive chemo and radiation treatments, The radiation totally damaged my throat area. I cant eat or drink anything by mouth. So, my throat is constantly dry and irritated. I think your mother has a throat condition that should be evaluated by an ENT doctor. For temporary relief for my coughing spells I take Mucinex DM. It is the ONLY over the counter medicine that stops my coughing. You might want to try this medicine for your mom. Hope this helps!
I just wanted to add one more thing. It's never a "waste of time", to see an ENT. You want to rule out any conditions your mom might have. The doctor then might refer you to a Neurologist if in his judgement thier is nothing wrong with her larynx, muscle structures, etc.
I have gone to the best cancer hospital in my state. My ENT has over 30 years experience, and is on the Board of Directors. They always advise the patients to get second opinions if they are not satisfied. I speak about this, cause I have coughing spells like your mom for the last 3 years. People who never had this coughing issue dont have a clue of what to do, unless they are a qualified medical professional. I listen to my doctors who are far more educated with experience, than I am.
Is your mom getting any better?
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You should try seeing a Neurologist.
Often times this is due to nerve heightened sensitivities that become reactive over time-like non allergic rhinitis.
There are often some nerve related medications that can help with this.
Don’t waste your time w/ an ENT.