Dry Cough/ Choking on Saliva/ Swishing Sound in Ear

About a week ago, I started experiencing choking on my own saliva, especially while trying to talk. My tongue stays sore approximately 50% of my waking hours, occasionally my throat hurts but not often. I have a dry hacking cough, mostly in the mornings and at night. Just over the past few days, I've noticed a swishing sound in my right ear. I've been wearing the push in ear plugs at work (12 hours at a time) taking them out occasionally then pushing them right back in. I drive a fork lift that constantly makes a loud ear piercing beep. I hear this beep even after I leave work and sometimes it wakes me up at night. I don't have a lot of nasal congestion nor a runny nose. When my coughing starts, it comes on all of the sudden and it's dry and mostly hacking, then my eyes begin to water. I take Nexium for acid reflux (about 8 years now) and I don't suffer from heartburn b/c I take it faithfully. Can someone please help?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

The other causes for long term cough besides asthma are GERD and post nasal drip from allergies. GERD is gastro esophageal reflux disease where the stomach acids come back into the esophagus and spill into the windpipe causing cough. Treatment with antacids will help neutralize the acids. This is unlikely as you have been treated. Post nasal drips can occur with sinusitis and throat infections. Giving up cigarettes will abolish smoker's cough in 90% of people. Talk to your GP about the other causes for cough in the meantime you could try warm salt water gargles and breathing exercises.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[caw1213]

Sinusitis may be it. I'm menopausal, so night sweats keep me running 3 fans full speed at night. I noticed my symptoms as this problem became more severe. Waking up kicking off the blanket, drifting off back to sleep only to wake up a few minutes later from freezing. This is a vicious cycle that repeats at least 10 times every night. Yearly physical due about 3 weeks, I have a list that's going to make my GP blow a fuse. lol Thanks for the info :-)

[caw1213]

Also, Do you think an air purifier would help? I ask b/c I put a  HEPA furnace filter on the front of one of the fans in the bedroom, within a few days, it became darkened from dust, cat hairs and other things I can't identify. As for the cat, I've had her for 17 years, I have never been allergic or had any kind of reactions to her dander. Could this be a problem, even though I've never had it before? Still could it be from the extreme heat and puddles of sweat to freezing within a 5 minute time frame. Or both?