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What Causes Severe Cough And Itching In The Throat?
Question: Cough a lot. At home, at work. Not when I'm in my car oddly enough. And not all the time. It's a not a dry cough, but I am not coughing up a lot. The inside of my throat (lower part, not top near the mouth) feels itchy. I am overweight, though I exercise 3x a week. Treadmill is difficult but biking is fine. Can it be allergies? My brother has terrible allergies, and I am allergic to various foods. Oh and I quit smoking XXXXXXX 16 1980 at age 24 - was smoking 2 - 3 packs a day.
additional information: i am on NO medication. Have had NO surgeries. Eat organic. Strength train 3x a week. Am overweight. 248 lbs 5'6". Also can't seem to budge from that weight even though I've been working out for a year.
additional information: i am on NO medication. Have had NO surgeries. Eat organic. Strength train 3x a week. Am overweight. 248 lbs 5'6". Also can't seem to budge from that weight even though I've been working out for a year.
Brief Answer:
It could be allergic cough.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXX,
Thanks for posting your query on HCM.
From your description of your symptoms it appears you have allergic cough. You have said that you are allergic to certain foods and you have history of allergy running in the family (your brother ). All these go in favor of allergic cough. Sometimes it may be labelled as cough variant asthma where cough is the dominant symptom. Your PCT may have come normal because you hardly have any breathlessness and probably it has been performed when you didn't have many symptoms.
You have no cough in the car probably because it doesn't have many allergens and you may not be spending very long time in the car whereas your home and workplace seems to have substances you are allergic to.
I suggest you take a tablet of Montair LC once daily at bedtime which is an antiallergic. Also take Cap Pantoprazole 40 mg once daily before breakfast for excess gastric acid as excess acid can aggravate cough (please get the necessary prescription from your local physician)
If you do not improve with these you may need inhalers under supervision of a pulmonologist.
Let me know if there's any further queries.
Regards
It could be allergic cough.
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXX,
Thanks for posting your query on HCM.
From your description of your symptoms it appears you have allergic cough. You have said that you are allergic to certain foods and you have history of allergy running in the family (your brother ). All these go in favor of allergic cough. Sometimes it may be labelled as cough variant asthma where cough is the dominant symptom. Your PCT may have come normal because you hardly have any breathlessness and probably it has been performed when you didn't have many symptoms.
You have no cough in the car probably because it doesn't have many allergens and you may not be spending very long time in the car whereas your home and workplace seems to have substances you are allergic to.
I suggest you take a tablet of Montair LC once daily at bedtime which is an antiallergic. Also take Cap Pantoprazole 40 mg once daily before breakfast for excess gastric acid as excess acid can aggravate cough (please get the necessary prescription from your local physician)
If you do not improve with these you may need inhalers under supervision of a pulmonologist.
Let me know if there's any further queries.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Hi Doctor Dangwal
Thanks for your help. As I do my utmost to stay away from medications (other than pain killers for headaches), is there anything natural I can take? Perhaps more garlic and honey? Also I forgot to mention (might not be relevant but I wouldn't know), that I had my first gout attack about a month ago. So I should start taking lemon juice to make my body more alkaline. I've eliminated all meat except XXXXXXX (low in fat), and I allow duck. I am allergic to chicken unfortunately so that's out. Plus only wild caught alaskan salmon. From time to time I feel like I have flu symptoms, which I now understand is the gout. No, I'm not taking anything for the gout but keep the medicine handy which the doctor prescribed, just in case I sense an attack starting. I'm thinking it won't happen again though, since I've cut out foods which could be triggers (yes I understand food accounts for only 30% of what might cause gout - but it might be that 30% which triggered the attack). Oh and now I have only one glass of wine a couple of times a week (I confess to having a bottle of red wine daily. dumb. I know). So back to the original issue - the cough - do you suggest staying away from dairy? (low fat dairy is supposed to be helpful for gout) And yes I'm allergic to dairy proteins (i'm not lactose intolerant). So to summarize am allergic to tomatoes, soy, sugar - plus the dairy and chicken. beginning to wonder about the dairy, which I reintroduced to my diet because of the gout. So, can we address with diet (the cough, the gout)? No meds (please)
Thanks for your help. As I do my utmost to stay away from medications (other than pain killers for headaches), is there anything natural I can take? Perhaps more garlic and honey? Also I forgot to mention (might not be relevant but I wouldn't know), that I had my first gout attack about a month ago. So I should start taking lemon juice to make my body more alkaline. I've eliminated all meat except XXXXXXX (low in fat), and I allow duck. I am allergic to chicken unfortunately so that's out. Plus only wild caught alaskan salmon. From time to time I feel like I have flu symptoms, which I now understand is the gout. No, I'm not taking anything for the gout but keep the medicine handy which the doctor prescribed, just in case I sense an attack starting. I'm thinking it won't happen again though, since I've cut out foods which could be triggers (yes I understand food accounts for only 30% of what might cause gout - but it might be that 30% which triggered the attack). Oh and now I have only one glass of wine a couple of times a week (I confess to having a bottle of red wine daily. dumb. I know). So back to the original issue - the cough - do you suggest staying away from dairy? (low fat dairy is supposed to be helpful for gout) And yes I'm allergic to dairy proteins (i'm not lactose intolerant). So to summarize am allergic to tomatoes, soy, sugar - plus the dairy and chicken. beginning to wonder about the dairy, which I reintroduced to my diet because of the gout. So, can we address with diet (the cough, the gout)? No meds (please)
Brief Answer:
Home remedies may not be enough to control all the symptoms of allergy
Detailed Answer:
There is no correlation between increased uric acid and allergic cough.
Gout does not cause flu like symptoms. It mainly affects joints.
Home remedies may not be enough to control all the symptoms of allergy, in your case it`s cough. However you may try avoiding dust, smoke, pollens and any dietary substances that you know you are allergic to. You may try deep breathing exercises. But I am still of the opinion that you may try the medicines as advised above for a quicker response.
Regarding treatment of gout you may consult a rheumatologist as it falls under a different speciality called rheumatology. I can only advise that during an acute attack, you have to take medicines which lower the uric acid level in the blood. You also have to avoid high protein diet to keep uric acid under check. Rheumatologist may be able to guide you further.
Home remedies may not be enough to control all the symptoms of allergy
Detailed Answer:
There is no correlation between increased uric acid and allergic cough.
Gout does not cause flu like symptoms. It mainly affects joints.
Home remedies may not be enough to control all the symptoms of allergy, in your case it`s cough. However you may try avoiding dust, smoke, pollens and any dietary substances that you know you are allergic to. You may try deep breathing exercises. But I am still of the opinion that you may try the medicines as advised above for a quicker response.
Regarding treatment of gout you may consult a rheumatologist as it falls under a different speciality called rheumatology. I can only advise that during an acute attack, you have to take medicines which lower the uric acid level in the blood. You also have to avoid high protein diet to keep uric acid under check. Rheumatologist may be able to guide you further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Veerisetty Shyamkumar
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