Asthma

[Guest]

I am a 40-year old female who has had a chronic, deep cough for the past year. I am a non-smoker and very fit. The cough begins instantly every morning when I wake up. After coughing up phlem for about an hour, it seems to subside, though sometimes it will return in the evening. it does not get worse when I lay down; as a matter of fact, it seems to get better.

Two chest x-rays turned out normal. However, I had a CT scan 2 weeks ago which showed "mild central bronchial wall thickening" which they tell me is consistent with asthma or emphazema. The scan also showed signs of chronic inflamation. The scan also showed a non-specific soft tissue behind my breast bone with no aggressive features. The radiologist told my doctor "depending on clinical concerns, this might need further evaluation."

My doctor is arranging an appointment for me with a pulminologist. Based on the above information, do you have thoughts about whether or not my cough is due to asthma? Any feedback is appreciated.

[Guest]

It certainly could be and getting a set of pulmonary function tests will be important in making the diagnosis. Other things that can cause symptoms like you describe include: post-nasal drip, allergies, reflux of stomach acid into the back of your throat. Seeing a pulmonologist is important and I am glad you have that arranged already.
[quote] I am a 40-year old female who has had a chronic, deep cough for the past year. I am a non-smoker and very fit... [/quote]