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Constant Phlegm In Throat, Chest Pain When Coughing, No Mucus, Non Smoker, Allergic To Dust And Cold Weather

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Posted on Sun, 9 Sep 2012
Question: Hi. I have a constant phlegm on my throat, when I cough, my chest hurts. There is no mucus, I don't smoke, but i'm very allergic to dust and cold weather. I have sing classes, and this constant cough interfers with the classes, sometimes i can't even go to class, when the cough makes my throat hurts. It's beeing happening for the past 3 months. In this period had 2 flus, with and without mucus. The flu go away, but the cough keep coming back and stays for a week or two, then disappears, then come back, with that annoying cough and feeling like there is sand in my throat all day.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Aparna Kohli (4 hours later)
Hi,
Thanks for writing in.
The constant phlegm and recurrent cough are symptoms of just an allergies. Infections like flu are also more common in people with allergies. The following measures would help:
a. Steam inhalation twice daily atleast This will help loosen the phlegm and make you feel much better.
b. You can take Tablet Cetrizine 10 mg once a day whenever the cough gets bad. Or you can also take Tablet Allergra (fexofenadine) 180 mg once a daily
c. Also, keep a symptom diary and try and notice the change in the environment when the cough gets worse.
d. Wash your linen in hot boiling water and try and vacuum your house ( and particularly your bed) as much as possible.
e. Use allergen free pillow cases and turn the pillows every day.
f. Try and stay away from the dust as much as possible. You may consider using a damp cloth around your nose when you're out or travelling.
I am sure you's be feeling better very soon.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Aparna Kohli (1 hour later)
It's just allergy ? But i have had allergy my entire life, and I have had these symptoms before. My chest hurts when I cough, I feel my throat scratching, but there's no mucus to expel, I'm with that kind of smokers cough, for over two months. With or without flu, this cough is not going away. And when i cough, my chest hurts. I drink water constantly, and right after, my throat gets scratching and soar, water doesn't relief it.

Also, I'm with no voice to speak, with the throat like that, it hurts to speak, and for singing it's even worse, the voice won't come out without a cough.

Should it be some kind of throat bacteria,virus or something, that persists to live, after a bad flu I had two months ago, when I had fever, and a thick XXXXXXX mucus for about 10 days?

I have an anti-histamin Allegra something, but it doesn't seem to make any different with this cough, only works for dust crysis. Is it safe to take 1 pill of this every night ?

I also have trouble to sleep, at night, my nose fills with that transparent mucus, my nose shuts, and i wakeup, without air, like every five minutes. It's impossible to sleep. This over and over, for years. I just don't know what to do anymore to be able to have an entire night of sleep. I have to keep droping salted water (those ones we buy in drugstores, like for cleaning lenses), inside nostrils, it helps for a while, but the nose gets shut a while after. This keeps happening the entire night. Then I never sleep well.

During the day, when i get up, the transparent mucus disappears, but the cough doesn't.

I have a umidifier machine, next to bed, but also, this doesn't help much.

The weather here is a tropical type, it's winter now, stands around 20 degrees celsius, not less than that. Summer it's around 35 degrees celsius (really hot). Maybe it makes any difference?






doctor
Answered by Dr. Aparna Kohli (6 hours later)
Hi,
Thanks for writing back.
When I say its an allergy, I am also including in its ambit , asthma and some airway diseases which are primarily allergic in origin. No kind of bacteria or virus will cause these symptoms.
You could take Allegra 1 tablet every night without any issues but the additional information that you have provided suggests that only Allegra will not do. I think that in your case we could be looking at cough variant asthma. This would explain the constant cough. We would need to start you a steroid inhaler and also a long acting beta agonist inhaler. This should provide considerable relief. Please consult your local physician for a prescription.
For the blocked nose, I think you can use Xylometazoline drops temporarily but once we take care of your constant cough, I think you should be doing better on that front.
The tropical weather should be helping the symptoms but if the humidity levels are high, that itself can cause a lot of trouble.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Regards
Note: For further information on diet changes to reduce allergy symptoms or to boost your immunity, Ask here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Aparna Kohli

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2009

Answered : 983 Questions

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Constant Phlegm In Throat, Chest Pain When Coughing, No Mucus, Non Smoker, Allergic To Dust And Cold Weather

Hi,
Thanks for writing in.
The constant phlegm and recurrent cough are symptoms of just an allergies. Infections like flu are also more common in people with allergies. The following measures would help:
a. Steam inhalation twice daily atleast This will help loosen the phlegm and make you feel much better.
b. You can take Tablet Cetrizine 10 mg once a day whenever the cough gets bad. Or you can also take Tablet Allergra (fexofenadine) 180 mg once a daily
c. Also, keep a symptom diary and try and notice the change in the environment when the cough gets worse.
d. Wash your linen in hot boiling water and try and vacuum your house ( and particularly your bed) as much as possible.
e. Use allergen free pillow cases and turn the pillows every day.
f. Try and stay away from the dust as much as possible. You may consider using a damp cloth around your nose when you're out or travelling.
I am sure you's be feeling better very soon.