Dear limegreen-ga;
Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question. Keep in
mind that as our disclaimer says, we cannot provide medical advice in
this forum. What I?m going to tell you is a matter of published
research, coupled with some common sense and (even better perhaps)
personal experience with this very problem.
Humibid DM is not intended to be a ?cure? for cough. It is found as an
active ingredient in a very long list of commercial cough remedies
that merely help lessen the cough until the bout passes normally, or
through other treatment.
DRUGS.COM
http://www.drugs.com/cons/Humibid_DM.html
While this may help ease the symptoms, your friend is coughing for a
reason. Either there is something medically wrong with her or there is
some allergic or environmental (or both) factor that likely stimulates
her cough.
I recommend your friend first see a specialist. Regardless of how
inconvenient this may be, a medical problem should first be eliminated
as the root cause of the cough. A chronic cough is abnormal and
coughing for prolonged periods of time can be destructive to the
linking of the through and lungs. Aside from whatever medical problem
night be responsible for the cough, it can also damage a person?s
eyes, nerves, and vocal cords just to name a few. If the exam by a
specialist revels a problem obviously that should be treated
appropriately. If not there are other options.
If a medical exam does not reveal a clinical problem, your friend
should consider seeing an allergist. There are many allergens in the
environment that can stimulate chronic coughing. These can range from
airborne parasites such as dust mites to sensitivity to pollen. Some
people even experience such a cough from things they eat, such a milk
products, peanuts, shellfish or other products that they may not even
be aware are ingredients in foods they are consuming. Millions upon
millions of people have allergies; some of which are seasonal or
fleeting. Bouts of coughing can be partly due to weather conditions
that bring about sensitivities that might not be present all year
round (which may account for why these coughing spells come and go).
Existing or infrequent environmental factors can also play a role in
allergies. Some people experience problems when the exterminator
treats their property or building or when the street sweeper makes
rounds near their home. It is a good idea to take the tests offered by
an allergist to determine what sensitivities, if any, your friend may
have.
There are often treatments (allergy antigens) that a person can take
(in the form of shots or drops) to lessen or completely relieve the
effects of these antagonists. My wife, for example, takes very tiny
self-administered injections from time-to-time for her milk and dust
allergies, which, in her case, produce a chronic hacking cough, which
in turn caused a debilitating migraine headache. In her case we had no
idea what was causing the problem but in a single visit to an allergy
clinic they identified these two sensitivities and the rest was
history.
The problem may also be in your friend?s house. She should consider
having a certified inspector who specializes in environmental problems
come to her home to take some air samples. It is possible that her air
unit or other parts of her home are contaminated with dangerous mold
or other sensitivity causing factors. Mold can actually be quite
dangerous, as can carbon monoxide, asbestos, chemicals and other
irritants. If the home itself has problems in this area then she is
likely re-breathing the irritants over and over. A buildup of
irritants, over time, may explain why she has bouts of coughing
periodically. As the material builds on the air unit?s filters or in
the vents it eventually gets released back into the home and may be
the cause of her coughing. Likewise, an increase in running time or
turning up the air or heat to higher levels during hotter or cooler
days respectively could explain why some days are worse for her than
others. A specialized environmentalist can recommend appropriate High
Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters that can remove particles
and perhaps relive her condition. Even if his tests show that none of
these more dangerous irritants are present a HEPA filter can remove
microscopic allergens that normal filters cannot.
HIGH EFFICIENCY PARTICULATE AIR FILTERS
http://www.eh.doe.gov/hepa/
I lieu of having an environmentalist inspect the house, your friend
may also consider getting a supplemental room air purifier on her own,
particularly for rooms she frequents for long periods of time such as
the bedroom or living room. These are also commercially available at a
reasonable price with HEPA filter options.
FROOGLE
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=air+purifier+hepa&hl=en
I our case we use a Honeywell filtration system like this one (but you
may consider using others):
AIR DELIGHTS
http://www.airdelights.com/50150.html?id=NMyUFvsM
For us the $150 price (which incidentally is probably much cheaper
than what an environmental inspection would cost) proved to be a very
sound investment.
I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have
any questions about my research please post a clarification request
prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher
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