How Can Chronic Cough Be Treated?

Hello, Thanks for trusting Healthcaremagic! I have gone through your query and I can understand your concerns. As per your description you are having chronic cough for long eight years and it is quite unusual and exact reason have to be find out. GERD can be a cause of chronic cough especially in night.But your symptoms persist even after taking anti reflex medicines like prilosec(omeprazole) so we have to look for other possibilities. I suggest you to consult an experienced pulmonologist or a general medicine specialist and get the following done: 1.Take a chest X-ray PA view as an initial step to look for features of COPD,mass lesions etc. 2.Do a spirometry to assess the severity of your symptoms. 3.Sputum examination to rule out TB. 4.Skin tests for allergy,allergic cough has long duration which fail to subside with conventional treatment options. 5.Other investigations may be needed based on initial evaluation made by the physician which might include a CT scan or bronchoscopy. In some instances no obvious cause can be made out and in that case the cough might be due to hyper responsive airway a condition in which airway become over react to atmospheric dust and pollen and manisfest as cough. As of now, you can do the following. 1.Avoid cold and dust. 2.Quit smoking and spicy food. 3.You can have nebulization from your local nursing home. 4.Antihistamines like cetrizine or levocetrizine. 5.codeine containing cough syrups in resistant cases(Avoid driving and operating machinery after taking it) Hope this information helps you. Please feel free to contact of you have any further queries. Wishing you good health. Regards. Dr Shinas