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Constant Dry Coughing

First off, a little about me. I'm 20, Asian, Non-smoker, drinker, don't do any drugs, and am not overweight.

I had a cold before I traveled to my home country, Vietnam, in 2003 I think. I was prescribed antibiotics and etc. The cold got better but then I began to develop this dry cough. I was there for 2 months or so, when I got back I went to the doctors. They said that nothing was wrong and that I could still have a little infection. He prescribed more antibiotics. I know that antibiotics don't really serve for anything b/c colds/flu/etc are viral not bacterial.

Before, I use to cough frequently near the end of summer and through the winter, during that time I usually get a cold due to the weather. Now, its 2009 and it is getting worst. My throat feels extremely itchy, dry, scratchy and drinking water doesn't help. I found that sometimes though that warm water would ease my throat a bit and it seems like cold dry air triggers the coughing more. At first, I'll begin to cough every 10 minutes or so, then it becomes more frequent, every couple minutes and sometimes it'd get so severe that I just keep coughing until there is phlegm that comes out but it is clear. Its been so bad lately that my stomach and chest are hurting, sore, and I'm afraid that I may cough in my sleep. The longest I could probably go w/ having to cough severely would be 30 minutes to an hour. I will be scheduling a doctor, this time a new doctor, to see what is wrong. It was honestly never so bad until now. I thought it was just a seasonal thing because that was what I was told and I did only cough during fall/winter seasons.

There are no illnesses that are hereditary within my family. It is only the cough I have, I do not have a stuffy, runny nose, irritated eyes, aching body, swollen lymph nodes, etc. No typical cold/flu like symptoms, just a dry cough.

Please give me some opinions on what it may be, what I should do, any home remedies. Thank you in advance.
4 Responses
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351246 tn?1379682132
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi
Welcome to the forum!
Chronic dry cough could be due to irritants like perfumes, smoke, dust and the cough develops as the body tries to throw this irritant out. You would need an allergy test to find out if you are allergic to something. A post nasal drip is often a cause of chronic cough. Asthma like condition too can precipitate a chronic cough and so also a gastric reflux or GERD. A very small percentage of non smokers have chronic cough as a sign of lung cancer. All the above mentioned conditions have to be ruled out one by one. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult your doctor and discuss these possibilities. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

Helpful - 0
875426 tn?1325528416
Have they tested you for TB?  GERD?  Bronchitis?  Does an air humidifier help?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
:\ I hope I get a reply soon but I think I forgot to specify that I only get phlegm when I begin to cough severely.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I don't know how to edit this but I just re-read this and I meant "non-smoker, non-drinker" its a whole "non-" list.
Helpful - 0
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