In addition to taking your prescriptions, these tips may help you to better manage asthma:Asthma can adversely affect your quality of life but medical interventions can help significantly. Many need to have the water they capture manually removed. Breathing in overly humid air can cause respiratory distress and exacerbate asthma. Full pulmonary function tests (besides spirometry, the quick office test in which you blow hard into a machine) may be helpful in sorting out whether you have developed some type of lung disease. Colds and the flu are among the most common causes of asthma flare-ups, especially in young children. The most common causes of chronic cough (lasting longer than about two months) in nonsmokers are postnasal drip (Some key questions you have probably already been asked include:If the answers to these questions suggest a likely cause, a clinician would usually treat you for that problem and see whether you improved. In both instances, a humidifier can help you maintain just the right amount of indoor humidity.If you do decide to use a humidifier, here are a few things to know first:Humidity and dampness can occur in any type of climate, from hot to cold. It can, however, reduce or eliminate additional mold growth. With this I’m sorry you haven’t had success with the long list of medications you’ve tried. Too much humidity and allergens such as dust mites and mold may escalate, triggering allergic reactions or asthma attacks. It sounds as if you've been treated for asthma without improvement. Some doctors recommend this as well. If cough is your only symptom and asthma medicines didn't help, I would look for another cause. Regular asthma medications may fail to relieve asthma symptoms associated with a cold or the flu. The rescue medications for asthma include albuterol, levalbuterol ( Xopenex ), and ipratropium ( Atrovent ). © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. In fact, this is relatively common. It could be due to allergic rhinitis, sinusitis or other causes.Children with autism, hearing loss, and other disabilities were found to be more than twice as likely to have asthma as other kids, a large new U.S. study...Aluna is an at-home spirometry test that measures lung functioning, but it’s designed specifically for kids and includes a game to keep them engaged.More studies are needed to determine why asthma may lead to higher chances of stroke and heart failure later in life.Apps and devices used with traditional asthma treatments may help you better manage the chronic breathing condition. This may be why your pulmonologist is recommending adding Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Xolair for relieving If you have not already done so, the next step would be to see a pulmonologist — a lung specialist. It can help you regulate the humidity in your home but must be regulated and well-maintained or it may make asthma symptoms worse. 3 When used daily, these inhalers have anti-inflammatory properties to reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms in adults and … That history may prompt the pulmonologist to skip some of the tests I just described and focus instead on a possible complication of that infection. Humidity and dampness can occur in any type of climate, from hot to cold. Sometimes after She should see her physician for further evaluation and treatment of her cough. Features to look for in a humidifier include:Before buying a dehumidifier, consider the amount of dampness in your home and the size of the room where your dehumidifier will run. Dehumidifiers come in several sizes. Large units can remove up to 70 pints. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. You are currently taking two medications in one pill – Tussionex is a combination cough suppressant (hydrocodone) and a sedating antihistamine (chlorpheniramine).Rather than focusing just on the symptom of your persistent cough, I would recommend that you visit an allergist for a full evaluation of your Furthermore, there are newer, powerful, nonsedating Cough-variant asthma is difficult to diagnose and even harder to treat. And many doctors comply. Stay home, rest, drink plenty of fluids, and keep your nasal secretions moist with an over-the-counter saline nasal spray. Take good care of yourself. “Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are the most frequent reason for antibiotic prescription. However, when you state that "My breathing is pretty good right now, but I am having problems with chronic congestion and cough," it tells me that both your asthma and its related allergic components are not being managed optimally. Indoor heating can add to the dryness. Patients often have normal results on spirometry, which records the amount and the rate of air you can breathe in and out. Perhaps the underlying Either way, steam can be extremely therapeutic in some patients, so if she is feeling better with the steam, I would keep doing it!