My Friend Has A Really Bad Cough. It Sets In

My friend has a really bad cough. It sets in every year around this time. We live in a cold climate. With this cough comes anxiety because a few years ago a doctor (with really bad bed-side manner) said "Oh maybe you should be tested for Aides". Since then my friend has had severe anxiety every year when the cough shows up. Anyway, this year the cough is causing collar bone pain. Any thoughts?