Persistent dry cough, pain in right chest cavity, asthmatic trait in family
Patient: Am 37 year old man and has been having persistent dry cough and painful right side of chest cavity. Been going on for sometime and several x-rays reveal nothing wrong. Have an asthmatic trait running in the family but never had any asthmatic bout in my life. Does this mean I should get worried about having an asthmatic bout anytime? Doctor: Persisitent dry cough is also a type of presentation of asthma called `cough variant asthma` and the pain could be because of constant coughing. Cough could also be due to a condition called GERD or LPR in which the acid from stomach regurgitates upwards into the throat and causes cough. You should get a PFT, blood for AEC and sputum for eosinophils done. Take Montair 10 mgm, levocetrizine 5 mgm and Pantocid 40 mgm. This will be of help.