Hard Cough

my dog has been suffering from kennel cough for 2 weeks already… i took her to the vet and prescribed an antibiotic and asks me to not place the dog in a cold place. is there any other alternative where i can help my dog aside from giving her antibiotics?

Antibiotics are the only thing that will cure the infection. If the ones the vet gave you aren’t working then go back to the vet and get different/stronger ones.

To help make your dog more comfortable some cough syrups are OK for dogs. Find one that doesn’t have acetaminophen in it. Follow the directions for children (unless you have a very large dog, in which case the adult dosage is fine). But that’s not going to help the infection, just reduce the cough temporarily.

If you swallow large quantities of it, it may upset your stomach, but it’s not truly harmful. It will go into your stomach, not back into your respiratory system, so you will not cough it up again. The germs it may contain will usually be specific to the respiratory system, so they will not affect your digestion and will be killed by your stomach acid. All in all, though, it’s still a better idea to spit it out when you can just to avoid upset stomach.

I’ve been having an extremely chronic phlegmy cough for the past week. I tried drinking hot water+apple cider vinegar+cinnamon+ginger+honey tea, but that only helps me temporarily. What else could I try? Also, I’ve been drinking A LOT of apple cider vinegar, about half a cup a day, is that too much?

You may be taken too much apple cider. I usually see instructions for one tablespoon.
Here is some information I found about chronic cough:
Chronic Dry Cough
Have you been coughing excessively for a long period of time? If so, chances are that you are suffering from chronic dry cough. To know more about the causes, effects, diagnosis and treatment of chronic dry cough, read on…
Coughing occasionally is said to be very necessary because it helps in clearing the throat and airways. Cough can be either productive or dry. When a person has dry cough, he or she does not spit out phlegm which accompanies productive cough. When a person experiences bouts of dry cough, also known as unproductive cough, it can be said that he/she has chronic dry cough. Dry cough may start along with common cold, but if it stays for more than eight weeks, even after one is relieved of the cold, it can be said to be chronic dry cough. People who are chain smokers are also at a high risk of suffering from chronic dry cough. The cause of chronic cough cannot be restricted to only one factor. There are actually many causes that can act as a trigger for a person to have chronic dry cough.

Causes of Chronic Dry Cough
•One of the very common causes of chronic cough is said to be post nasal drip. When a person is suffering from sinusitis, cold or some allergy, the substance that is secreted by the nose drips into the back of the throat. This leads to postnasal drip and if this continues for a long time, it can give rise to chronic dry cough.
•Asthma is also said to be one of the reasons that leads to chronic dry cough. The usual symptoms of asthma is difficulty in breathing and wheezing. However, some people may also experience chronic dry cough. Besides, there is a type of asthma known as the cough variant asthma, for which the only symptom is excessive dry cough.
•Chronic dry cough can also be caused due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). When a person has GERD or acid reflux, the acid present in the stomach runs back to the throat, through the oesphagus. This causes irritation in the throat and even in the lungs, which leads to chronic coughing.
•Sometimes, chronic dry cough can be developed due to the intake of certain medications, particularly the ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors. These medicines are usually given to patients of kidney disease, heart disease and high blood pressure. Though the exact reason as to how these conditions can be the cause of chronic cough is not known, it may be due to certain chemical changes affecting the cough receptors.
•Another cause of chronic dry cough, although it is very uncommon is lung cancer. People who have quit smoking, but are still experiencing chronic cough, have a high chances of being diagnosed by this disease.
Effects of Chronic Dry Cough
The person having chronic dry cough may also display certain discomforts like:
•dizziness
•insomnia
•muscle strain
•physical exhaustion
•headache
•hoarseness
•dry throat
Diagnosis of Chronic Dry Cough
A person suffering with dry cough should immediately consult the doctor, who can determine its exact cause. The physician would ask the patient certain questions like the frequency of the cough and also some other symptoms. He/she may also conduct certain medical tests to find out the precise reason. These may include X-ray of the chest, lung function tests, acid reflux test, etc.

Chronic Cough Remedies
Initially, the patient may be given some cough medicines to control the frequent bouts of cough. However, to completely cure chronic dry cough, it is very essential to find the root cause of the problem. Only then, it would be possible for a patient to recover fully from having chronic cough. For instance, if the person has cough variant asthma, he/she would be treated in the way asthma patients are treated. Another example would be if a person has gastroesophageal reflux, he/she would be given medications for this and also would have to follow a strict diet as well as change in lifestyle, which includes avoiding foods containing high fats, alcohol, smoking, chocolate, etc.

Chronic dry cough would surely decrease, once its cause is understood. If a person is suffering from chronic dry cough for a long time, it is important to visit the health practitioner, before the underlying problem aggravates leading to grievous situations.

Every now and then when I cough, phlemn [sp?] comes out and I have to spit it out, PLEASE I NEED HELP.

Any cough persisting more than a week,should be evaluated by a physician. Here are a few simple home remedies that will help to overcome cough. Suck a whole clove without chewing it to soothe a cough. Apples bring a great relief to a person with dry cough. Check out http://useinfo6.blogspot.com/ for more remedies and information.

I’ve been coughing for almost three weeks now. Sometimes there is stuff that comes up, but other times, nothing. I don’t know if its my allergies acting up or if its a cold, or something more serious. I’m not a hypocondriach(sp?), but I just wonder, ya know ?

Chronic cough is a cough that does not resolve (go away). Chronic cough is not a disease in itself; rather it is a symptom of other disorders. It is a common problem and the reason for many doctor visits.
Some common causes of chronic cough include asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus problems (for example sinus infection), and esophageal reflux of stomach contents. In rare occasions, chronic cough may be the result of aspiration of foreign objects into the lungs (usually in children). It is very important to obtain a chest x-ray if a chronic cough is present.

Home Treatment

If your child is being treated for pertussis at home, follow the schedule for giving antibiotics exactly as your child’s doctor prescribed. Giving your child cough medicine probably will not help, as even strong cough medicines usually can’t relieve the coughing spells of whooping cough.

During recovery, let your child rest in bed and use a cool-mist vaporizer. This will help loosen respiratory secretions and soothe irritated lungs and breathing passages. (If you use a vaporizer, be sure to follow directions for keeping it clean and mold-free, usually with small amounts of bleach.) In addition, try to keep your home free of irritants that can trigger coughing spells, such as aerosol sprays, tobacco smoke, and smoke from cooking, fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves.

Children with whooping cough may vomit or not eat or drink as much because of frequent coughing. So offer smaller, more frequent meals and encourage your child to drink lots of fluids. Watch for signs of dehydration too, including: thirst, irritability, restlessness, lethargy, sunken eyes, a dry mouth and tongue, dry skin, crying without tears, and fewer trips to the bathroom to urinate (or in infants, fewer wet diapers).

My mum has chronic dry cough for about few months now. She cough every 1-2days but everytime the cough only last for seconds. Sometimes it could be cough a few times a day, but only last for seconds as well. She is 47 and non-smoker but her dad died of lung cancer.
What could it be?

Antibiotics from her GP will cure it in a week.
Don’t worry about smoking and lung cancer it’s not hereditary.

On monday I had a sore throat.
Tuesday I had a huge headache.
Now today I have a headache AND stuffy nose.

I was just fine this morning. Just a little cough and sore throat but in the middle of school I started getting a stuffy nose. I tried blowing my nose but nothing came out. It was just running out of my nostrils.

if u have a all those, take hot water along with two drops of eucalyptus oil and breathe it for a few minutes

my friend has meps next week the first one not the one right before you ship and he always has this deep cough sounds like hes dying and cant breath…not sure if he will be able to hold it in while they check him but either its his asthma or from years of heavy smoking…will they hold you backfor this ?

It’s not looking good for you friend. The doctors at MEPS have normally been on a contract for years, so they have a lot of experience finding and catching people who are attempting to fraudulently enlist or attempting to enlist with a disqualifying condition. I know I surely would NOT want some wheezy asthmatic in the foxhole trying to lay down cover fire for me when I change need to move to a new position.

Is it possible for someone to cough chronically if He/she has acid reflux ?
Why?

Yes indeed, have you had your vocal cords checked? The acid reflux can cause Leukoplaque on the vocal cords. And if the cough has gone on for some time you really need to see a pulmonary Physician.
The cough(This is called a productive cough when sputum comes up) can go from clear to yellow and green sputum.
Raise the head of your bed on bricks or cement blocks, Prilosec is now over the counter and has almost the same ingredients as Nexium and a lot cheaper also. Try not to eat at least four hours before bedtime. Never eat and just go to bed. Sometimes the reflux does not burn and just comes up in your mouth, sometimes it burns like the devil and comes up in your mouth and your nose. I had a girl friend who had been going to local doctors in two hospitals, they just said she had an Allergy or inflamation, they put her on Abuterol, and nebulizers, steroids, she had a productive cough for two years, finally her voice dropped from being hoarse to a whisper. And she had to carry a jar around to spit the mucus in. Finally I talked her into going to Cleveland Clinic, and they ran a tube with light down her throat and discovered the Leukoplaque on one side of the vocal cords, the surgeon removed it. She was a country and Western singer in a medium size town, and now she speaks in a normal voice and is starting to get her singing voice back.
When acid comes up from the stomach, it burns,and your reflex action tries to get it out of the esophagus and throat, and you cough.
This can be serious, as Leukoplaque sometime is precancerous.