Stop Guessing: Madame Secretary, Her Allergies, and Chronic Cough

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Secretary Clinton’s Chronic Cough and seasonal allergies are in the news!  The causes of Chronic Cough are often multi factorial. Stop guessing. Find out once and for all the triggers and the underlying cause. Seasonal allergies can be one trigger of Chronic Cough.

Chronic Cough is commonly triggered by upper airway irritation which can result from seasonal allergies, year-round allergies, non-allergic irritants, and chronic sinusitis.  Seasonal allergies, more commonly known as hay fever, are usually associated with grass, ragweed, and tree pollen during the growing and blooming season.  There are also year-round triggers for hay fever such as pet dander, dust mites, or cockroaches.

Sneezing, red, watery, and itchy eyes, stuffy or runny nose, allergic shiners under the eye, and fatigue are classic allergy symptoms, and cough can be an additional symptom.  Cough rarely occurs in the absence of other allergic symptoms, leaving allergy sufferers looking uncomfortable, sounding sick and contagious, and feeling miserable. Allergy symptoms, including cough, will occur soon after exposure and usually go away when the allergen is gone.

Chronic Cough is commonly triggered by post-nasal drip.

Post-nasal drip results from any upper air way irritation including seasonal and perennial allergies, post-viral residue, and chronic sinusitis.  Upper airway irritants cause membranes in the nose to produce mucus which drips from the nose and trickles down the back of the throat which irritates the throat’s nerve endings, and trigger scough.

Persistent and lingering cough is not normal and you should not learn to live with it. 

Even if you think your cough is due to post nasal drip, be evaluated by a Cough Doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and cough treatment plan.   In the absence of information, your loved ones are worried and speculating that something more serious may really be going on.

Contact Dr. Mandel Sher at Center for Cough for cough treatment solution:  727-393-8067.