How do I help my lovely Mum get rid of a persistent cough

[QueenBOObread]

DM is 69, nearly 70. A couple of years ago she had a really nasty chest infection and her lungs haven't been the same since.

She catches every cold and cough bug around and it always settles on her chest and she takes weeks to recover. Every time she visits us, she picks up something from the kids and it is such a shame because she loves them dearly.

She has been checked out for more sinister possibilities (cancer, COPD) and there's nothing there. She is regularly prescribed anti-biotics but is wary of developing a resistance to them, so is trying to do battle on her own this time.

Does anyone else with fragile lungs have any tips and tricks for getting rid of these things? Help much appreciated.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Has she taken echinacea and is she using plenty of steam? She also needs rest, and plenty of it. I had a chest infection last week and made myself lie down for an hour every afternoon, I knew from experience that if I don't rest, it just doesn't go away. She needs plenty of fruit and veg too. Has she been checked for asthma too?

[cocolepew]

This happened to DH he needed an inhaler eventually.

[QueenBOObread]

Thanks for the replies. I think she's resting a lot - she feels pretty rubbish so isn't up to much - and has always eaten lots of fruit and veg.

I would have thought they would have gone through asthma as a possibility when checking out the nasties but I will ask.

I'll suggest echinacea too.

For how long did your DH need the inhaler, Coco?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I've had a few nasty chest infections, including pneumonia, after the last one 2 years ago I needed an inhaler too. I take a preventer twice a day and the reliever when I need it.

How long has she had it for? The echinacea and steam should help but if she's got a history of chest infections I'd try to get her to the GP, even if its only to discuss how to get better without antibiotics. Last time I tried to fight it off without going to the GP I nearly ended up in hospital, and I'm a lot younger than your DM.

[cocolepew]

It wasn't for long tbh, he was told he needed it for the rest of his life but he used it for the winter when he had the chest infection and didn't use it after that.

He was told he had taken asthma from it but then was told it was COPD. He doesn't think it was either but he definitely needed his inhalers for a few months.

[WifeofPie]

I had a stubborn cough once that lasted for months. Nothing worked until I saw a new doctor who gave me an inhaler and the cough cleared up in days. Apparently some people are prone to latent asthma which is triggered by colds or lung irritation. It's worth asking about. Hope your Mum feels better soon .

[cocolepew]

That happened to my friends DD wifeofpie, her cough was really bad at night and she had it for ages until she got an inhaler and it stopped.

[Katisha]

Simple suggestion to go with the others but check she is drinking enough. Doctors seem to overlook hydration.

[Badvoc]

Get her a humidifier to use in her bedroom at night.
She could also raise the head of her bed.
Did she have the flu jab?

[Badvoc]

Things that helped my ds2...piriton or similar before bed. Vicks in soles of feet and a humidifier, but his caught lasted weeks.
Hope your mum feels better soon

[Thistledew]

Is it a hacking cough or just a persistent throat clearing sort of cough?

A chronic, throat clearing cough for no apparent reason was one of the early signs that got my dad diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

[Iwillorderthefood]

Throat clearing cough could also indicate silent acid reflux (as I found out yesterday).

Hope it gets better.

[gobbin]

My mum has persistent intermittent wet cough after pneumonia 4 yrs ago. She already has asthma. She's finally been diagnosed with bronchiectasis. It has taken 2 years and endless rulings-out of other things to get to this stage.