Hello,
Thank you for asking at HCM.
I went through your son's history and can understand your concern.
I would like to make suggestions for him as follows:
1. There are many causes of
chronic cough. I would like to know more about him like - a. Has he ever had wheezing/breathing difficulty? b. Has he ever required nebulization? c. Does he have nose symptoms like running nose, nose obstruction, sneezing, etc? d. Does he have regurgitation of sour fluids after taking heavy/spicy foods? e. Does he have headache, post-nasal drip, facial heaviness, etc? f. Does he have any family member with allergies/asthma? g. Is he routinely exposed to dusts, smokes or air pollution? h. Does he have
weight loss, loss of appetite, etc?
Above details would help me to think of possible causes of chronic cough. Further investigations could be suggested based on the details.
2. As your current diagnosis is asthma, I would like to mention that asthma can be diagnosed by
spirometry with post-
bronchodilator reversibility test.
3. I would also suggest him allergy testing, which will help you identify the substances he may be allergic to and also to know the measures to avoid them.
4. Based on allergy testing, an Allergist-Immunologist may prescribe him allergen specific
immunotherapy which gradually improves allergy symptoms by working on immune system.
5. For asthma, I would also suggest him taking
montelukast regularly as a controller medication.
6. Personally, I would not suggest him to avoid outdoor activity and restrict him life for many reasons - a. physical activities are very important for improving immunity and lung capacity, which help improve asthma control. b. Restrictions at his age of 13 could have psychological consequences. c. With proper use of controller medications and management of allergies, most of the asthma patients can live life without any limitations.
7. Sensory neuropathic cough or
cough variant asthma are better diagnosed by experts, usually pediatric pulmonologists. I would suggest you not to be confused by the ocean of information that is available on internet. Thorough history taking, physical examination and prompt use of investigations is required for making diagnosis of a chronic cough.
8. Omalizumab can be helpful in some subsets of allergic asthma/rhinitis, but it is not the first drug to be used. It should be used only by experienced doctors when common drugs are not effective/cause side effects.
9. In general, I would suggest him to avoid exposure to dusts, smokes and air pollution as much as possible.
Hope above suggestions will be helpful to you.
Should you have any further query, please feel free to ask at HCM.
Wish you the best of the health ahead.
Thank you & Regards.