Chronic cough needs help

DEAR DR. GOTT: I have had a cough for a couple of years. I’ve had chest X-rays, been to different doctors, tried cough medicine, cough drops and all sorts of things, but I just keep on coughing. After I cough, I blow my nose to stop; it’s embarrassing, to say the least.

I had a blood mass removed from my chest that was attached to my thyroid, heart, vocal cords and lung, but that did not help. I am tired of it, as are my family and friends. Help!

DEAR READER: Cough can fall into two categories — acute or chronic. Yours obviously falls into the chronic category. While most instances of coughing are the result of the body removing foreign material or mucus from the respiratory tract, yours appears to be a reaction to airway irritation.

Causes might include allergic rhinitis, whooping cough, asthma, exposure to cigarette smoke or other pollutants in the air, COPD, postnasal drip, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, respiratory virus, sarcoidosis, bronchospasm, tumors or from the use of ACE inhibitors (prescription medications for hypertension). Known irritants in this latter category include captopril, enalapril and lisinopril.

I am not completely sure what your problem was when you had a “blood mass� (was it a clot, tumor or something else?) removed from your chest, but I recommend you return to that physician for clarification as to whether it could have caused your chronic cough and if “it� needs follow-up. You should also be seen by a pulmonologist, who will take a complete history and perhaps order a CT scan. Without knowing the underlying cause, there is no way to determine how to treat it.

To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report, “Pulmonary Disorders.� Others should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made payable to Newsletter and mailed to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title.

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 14-year-old female with acne on my back and arms that just won’t go away no matter how much I scrub, cleanse and moisturize. I was wondering if you have any suggestions to help me.

DEAR READER: While people of all ages can get acne, you are 14, and changes are occurring in your body. Many teenagers are susceptible to your very problem, and hormones might be the cause. Other possibilities are the use of birth-control pills (although some physicians might order the pill in an attempt to control acne), an overproduction of oil, a buildup of bacteria or an irregular shedding of dead skin.

The condition is not caused by being dirty and, in fact, intense cleansing might even make matters worse.

I am sure that your skin is sensitive. Scrubbing with a coarse washcloth or harsh soaps or astringents might further irritate the condition.

Wash the affected areas with a gentle cleanser, use over-the-counter lotions to dry up oil and kill bacteria, consider using tea-tree oil (which may produce mild skin irritations in some people) and speak with your doctor about supplemental zinc or brewer’s yeast.

Beyond that, medical treatment might include the use of prescription medication, antibiotics, laser and light therapy or dermabrasion.

Peter Gott practiced medicine in Lakeville for 40 years.