Alternative causes of chronic cough

March 13, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: In January 2011, your column responded to a 19-year-old who had a chronic cough for 16 months. I, too, had a chronic cough whenever I sat, stood, laughed, was around smoke or after exercising. It lasted more than 15 months. My other symptom was hoarseness with a sensation of something in the back of my throat. I had been put on prescription cough syrups and pills. I had also tried some of the same medicines that were mentioned in your column, including those for asthma, acid reflux and allergies. I was asked about acid reflux but hadn’t had the usual symptoms for it. I saw an allergist and a pulmonologist. I had a chest X-ray, allergy tests, CT scans of my sinuses, breathing tests and a bronchial scope.

While awaiting an appointment with yet another doctor about the cough, I had my yearly pap test, and blood was also found in my stool. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

November 20, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I recently had an endoscopy and was diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus. What is the best treatment? Is surgery an option?

I read your articles every day and save many of them. Keep up the good work.

DEAR READER:
Barrett’s esophagus is a condition in which the lining of the esophagus is replaced by tissue similar to that of the intestine.

The cause of Barrett’s is unknown. It is three to five times more likely to occur in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The condition itself, however, has no signs or symptoms. Men are affected nearly twice as often as women and Caucasian men are at the top of the list.

Some individuals (less than one percent) with the condition can develop a rare but deadly type of esophageal cancer. [Read more...]

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