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What Causes Cough And Breathlessness?
Hi I am trying to identify if my husbands cough and difficulty taking a deep breath could be a sign of something more serious than the common cold. We won t have health insurance starting till August 1st so I would like to avoid any doctors visits if at all possible but obviously need to make sure he is okay. He works 60+ hours a week. One job with preschoolers running around outside and the other till late at night so stress could be a factor in why he can t seem to shake this. He has a cough and somthing in his chest, it is hard for him to take a full breath without coughing. Fatigued and a headache.
Tue, 18 Aug 2015
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
If the cough is recent onset, then viral infection is the most likely cause. This can be treated with over the counter cough and cold medication.
If the cough is persistent then the most likely cause is post nasal drip. This is the most common reason for chronic cough. The other common causes are asthma and GERD.
Treatment of post nasal drip include a topical steroid nasal spray (eg flonase, nasonex, nasocort, rhinocort) , oral antihistamine and avoidance of allergen if known.
I hope this helps
If the cough is recent onset, then viral infection is the most likely cause. This can be treated with over the counter cough and cold medication.
If the cough is persistent then the most likely cause is post nasal drip. This is the most common reason for chronic cough. The other common causes are asthma and GERD.
Treatment of post nasal drip include a topical steroid nasal spray (eg flonase, nasonex, nasocort, rhinocort) , oral antihistamine and avoidance of allergen if known.
I hope this helps
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