Cough at night for 3 years

[Healingcat]

Hi,
I am 56 years old male and I started to have a cough at night after a viral infection 3 years ago.  I was living in an old log home with possible mold. It comes and goes and I have been almost perfect for part of the summer, then I went
to the city and stayed in a place with possible mold for two weeks. I also slept little and had some drinks. It got a lot worse when I came back home to nature again. Horrible cough at night only (sometimes when I exercise as well) when I lie down. It is also hard to breath and at times a lot of clear mucus, just like I had a horrible cold. After about 3 hours it goes away leaving me exhausted. Sometimes after I eat I get the cough as well. The mucus alternates with the coughing and hard to breath. I am otherwise in great health and I did a general health check about a year ago, which turned out good.
I would really appreciate an answer to what this can be.  

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

What you describe is highly suspicious for your cough being on the basis of  environmental exposures, allergic or irritant, first in the log home and more recently during your two week stay in the city.  You could be responding to mold in one or both places but more commonly such problems as cough are caused by exposure to house dust or the house dust mite, to cockroach (even when they are dead) or to animal dander.  Your symptoms of cough and shortness of breath are consistent with the diagnosis of asthma, a very readily treatable disease, but there are a number of other lung diseases, that also arise with the same symptoms, in response to environmental exposures to chemicals or allergens, one example being a disease called Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis .

I suggest that you see your doctor to have your lungs checked.  A thorough evaluation is likely to include a chest X-ray, pulmonary function tests and a careful physical examination of your lungs.  Some of these diseases, if left untreated, can result in irreversible lung damage and for that reason it is important that you not choose to “tough it out” and live with your symptoms.

Good luck

[Healingcat]

Thank you so very much for your kind answer.  I wish I could have a Doctor like you Dr. Tinkelman, seems like you are very knowledgeable and caring, but I am living in Ontario, Canada so it is not possible. I have been given Symbicort Turbuhaler after short examination. I am suspecting a GERD componet with this as well, since I get breathless after eating. I have heard you can get Asthma from GERD.

Thank you again for your kind answer.