Fort Myers, FL
A 32-year-old male asked:
how do you get rid of a really bad cough?
3 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Sue Ferranti answered
Internal Medicine 29 years experience
Depends....: Before a cough can be treated, the etiology of the cough needs to be diagnosed. Possible causes of an acute cough include acute bronchitis, bronchospasm or a combination of factors. Possible causes of a chronic cough include bronchospasm from any etiology, gerd, post-nasal drip or a combination of factors. Any of the chronic causes can also be a factor in acute coughs.
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Dr. Anthony Rooklin answered
Allergy and Immunology 49 years experience
Diagnosis: The secret to getting rid of a frustrating cough is to make the correct diagnosis as to what is causing the cough. This problem often requires seeing either an allergist or a pulmonologist. The majority of these problems are a combination of cough varient asthma, chronic post nasal drip and/or gastroesophageal reflux.
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Dr. Mark Loury answered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 39 years experience
Acute or chronic?: Chronic is either from chronic bronchitis from smoking, gastric reflux, cough variant asthma, post nasal drip, etc. Therefore the underlying condition needs to be identified and treated. Acute cough often responds to honey, dextromethorphin , hydration, narcotic based cough preparations, lozenges, and humidity.
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Similar questions
A 30-year-old member asked:
I can't get rid of this bad cough. Please help?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Michael Zacharisen answered
Allergy and Immunology 33 years experience
Severe cough: Severe coughing can be related to many causes including infections, asthma, foreign body in the lungs or esophagus, heart failure, tumor, acid reflux, sinus or allergy issues. For a person to provide helpful treatment, it will be key to know the "cause." a lung specialist such as allergist or pulmonologist can help identify the trigger, so the treatment can be specific.
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Last updated Sep 28, 2016
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