My son(8) has a chronic cough for the past 3 years. he's had tests done and ultimately prescribed albuterol + flovent. these meds help but there is still an underlying condition. also has bad breath?

See an ENT doctor: He may have chronic sinus infection, chronic dental disease, slowly progressive infection in the retrotonsillar areas and this should be looked into further. See a good otolaryngologist.

Many possible causes: Chronic cough can be from many things which may have been explored with some of the tests;however, i would be sure that conditions such as asthma and reflux (from the GI tract) have been carefully looked into.They are two common causes for chronic cough in children. Some allergies, including to pets & gluten can be addressed by skin-testing or diet changes. Cystic fibrosis must also be considered.

Sinusitis: His cough can be from different sources, partially it could be asthma if he responded to Flovent and albuteroll but the bad breath may indicate chronic sinusitis and the common cause at his age is nasal allergies. I suggest you consult an allergist and get him tested.

Needs good exam: Bad breath is a serious social problem; see first whether flossing thoroughly and running the floss across the back of the tongue helps, and if not, perhaps there's a retained foreign body in the upper or lower airway. A check for kargagener's, cystic fibrosis variant, and some others may be indicated. Glad junior has you as caregiver. Good luck.

Sounds like CVA: There is a variation of asthma labeled "cough variant asthma" that can last a lifetime. Often associated with recurrent bronchitis in early childhood & later persistent cough that does not respond to typical otc cough meds.If this is the case, you are on the right track but expect gradual improvement with occasional flare ups.Recurrent sinus infections often set it off & this can cause bad breath.

Reflux: He may suffer from gerd. See ENT for evaluation. Acid from stomach causes irritation of the airway.

Allergies?: I would wonder about chronic post nasal drip or chronic sinus drainage or even gastroesophageal reflux. He needs a thorough allergy workup and ENT evaluation to look for other causes other than just the lungs - which can cause a chronic cough.

Need investigation: You have to take him to a pediatrician to find the cause of his problem, and perform tests , some times brochiectasis an abnormal dilatation of a segment bronchial tree may cause, as secretions unable to drain and cause the problem, .