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Suggest Cure For A Persistent Body Wracking Cough
My 74 year mother has had a persistent body wracking cough for 6 months, has been given asthma inhaler (2x day), antibiotics for pneumonia and sinus infections but nothing has treated the cough. The cough comes from her chest and is agonizing until she finally coughs up mucous. She is very weak, unable to do her normal day to day routine and for the last couple of months is experiencing excruciating leg pain. This is a woman who was perfectly healty and very, very active - she now is not able to get out of bed until 10am and does the bare minimum during day and then sleep in chair by 8pm. Tuberculosis has been diagnosed in her extended family recently do her symptons merit a TB test and how do we get her referred to a respirologist? Thank you
Mon, 10 Nov 2014
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
If there is a family history of TB then she should be assessed for this infection. This would involve a skin test, sputum samples and a chest x ray.
There are other causes of persistent cough. The most common causes are (1) post nasal drip (2) GERD - gastroesophageal reflux disease and (3)asthma
Post nasal drip is the most common out of these three. In some persons the drip is silent,they are not aware it is present and only notice the cough. It is treated with topical steroid nasal sprays and oral antihistamines.
Examples of the sprays are nasonex, nasocort, rhinocort, flonase
If you wish for her to see a pulmonologist then you can ask her GP for a referral.
I hope this helps
If there is a family history of TB then she should be assessed for this infection. This would involve a skin test, sputum samples and a chest x ray.
There are other causes of persistent cough. The most common causes are (1) post nasal drip (2) GERD - gastroesophageal reflux disease and (3)asthma
Post nasal drip is the most common out of these three. In some persons the drip is silent,they are not aware it is present and only notice the cough. It is treated with topical steroid nasal sprays and oral antihistamines.
Examples of the sprays are nasonex, nasocort, rhinocort, flonase
If you wish for her to see a pulmonologist then you can ask her GP for a referral.
I hope this helps
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