Q. What could be the reason for persistent cough and the feeling of having something in the throat?
Hello doctor, I had a cough for six months, and now I have the feeling of something in my throat. I had a sinus X-ray, lungs checked, checked for asthma, swallow test done, and thyroids checked (I have a tiny nodule, in which the doctor said that would not make me cough). Do you have any suggestions on what it could be? I am very tired of coughing.
Hello. The cough you say is it dry or sputum? Are you losing weight? Is there any drenching night sweat and persistent low-grade fever? Is there any history of contact with someone with a chronic cough in your locality? Do you smoke, is your occupation such that you are exposed to industrial dust, and asbestos? Is there any associated chest pain, any difficulty in breathing, etc. A small thyroid nodule may not make you cough but if the nodule is impinging on your trachea that can irritate which you claim you notice in your throat. The thyroid check you did was it thyroid function test to know the thyroid hormone profile, because a solitary thyroid nodule may be toxic and can be abnormally producing excessive hormones thyroxine which may cause other possible symptoms such as excessive sweating, weight loss, anxiety, intolerance to hot weather, diarrhea, palpitation (as if your heartbeat is audible to you). If non of these is the case, then you have to do screen for TB, do sputum AFB (acid-fast bacilli) and do GeneXpert, that will rule out tuberculosis. If you can help me by uploading some of the tests you did, that would help make a definitive diagnosis in this case.