When is your cough a health danger? NHS GP Dr Zoe Williams answers your burning questions
THERE are more people with Covid staying in hospital, and common winter viruses are back, so expect to hear more coughs and sniffles around.
But don’t forget, there are a number of respiratory symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored.
A report from Asthma and Lung UK has claimed “more people are now dying from a lung condition in the UK than anywhere else in Europe” because conditions are “overlooked”.
It’s important to tell your GP if you have symptoms such as a cough that won’t go away, are coughing up blood or mucus, have pains in the chest area, are experiencing shortness of breath, or have a reduced ability to exercise.
Your GP might want to rule out asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, autoimmune conditions and infection.
Nearly 49,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year in the UK, while almost 35,000 die.
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Additional signs to those described are a worsening cough over time, weight loss and persistent tiredness.
These symptoms may or may not be related to your lungs, but either way it’s important to get them checked out.
Here’s a selection of what readers asked me this week.
Q: I have had a cough now for nearly four years and it’s driving me insane. I have tried all mucus cough bottles, to no avail.
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I normally bring up green mucus when I cough.
I have asthma, which I control well, but due to the mucus in my chest I feel breathless when exerting myself too much.
Trying to get a GP appointment is near to impossible.
A: A reminder to all readers — a cough which persists for three weeks or longer, without a clear cause (such as an infection) requires medical attention, as it is important to rule out lung cancer.
In your case, cancer is not likely because the cough has persisted without significant worsening over four years.
There are many different potential causes of persistent coughing with mucus, from infections and lung diseases to structural abnormalities and even inhaled foreign bodies in the lung.
You’ll need a doctor to run some tests — chest X-rays, blood checks etc — to find and treat the underlying cause.
Sometimes a cough can be caused by stomach acid coming up the oesophagus and irritating the airways, or by an allergy.
But you wouldn’t necessarily expect there to be green mucus associated with either of these.
So please do keep trying to make an appointment with the GP.
You can try an e-consult if your surgery does these — and if still no joy, maybe consider moving to a different practice, which you can now do on the NHS app.
In the meantime, drink plenty of water.
Staying hydrated helps make the mucus thinner and easier to clear.
Most people should aim for close to two litres a day.
You could also try a humidifier in your home.
This adds moisture to the air which can help reduce dryness and coughing.
Q: I AM almost 75, very active and healthy. Four years ago, I was diagnosed with a prolapsed bladder.
Pessaries caused infections and an ulcerated cervix, so I’ve not had one for a year.
It has been decided I need surgery, but I’ll be on the waiting list for a long time.
For several weeks, I have had great difficulty urinating – not going for 12 hours at times.
It leaves me in great discomfort. Added to that, I had a large hiatus hernia diagnosed two years ago.
Over time, it’s been discovered that my “entire stomach is up in my chest” – my consultant’s words.
There is no date for surgery for this yet. It can cause me to vomit acid for hours at a time.
The prolapse drops out and is obviously worse when I vomit. My consultant doesn’t acknowledge what I say.
A: Regarding the long-standing bladder issue, it sounds as though the difficulty passing urine is a relatively new complication.
Many people are waiting such long times for surgery, it is important to inform your team if symptoms significantly worsen, or if new symptoms arise. It may require additional investigation.
It can be difficult when our doctors don’t seem to listen or understand our health expectations.
Please go back to your GP to check if further tests are required.
It is OK to tell them how you really feel. If things don’t improve, you can request a second opinion, from a different hospital doctor.
Ongoing health issues can take an emotional toll, don’t suffer in silence.
See friends and family for support, even join a group such as the Bladder Foundation.
Try to minimise stress, which can make bladder and tummy issues worse. Yoga and deep-breathing exercises may also help.
Pelvic-floor exercises are important, as strengthening the muscles that support the bladder and other pelvic organs may give slight temporary improvement to symptoms.
They will also help with recovery when you do have your surgery.
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You can find exercises for free online, such as on the NHS inform website.
Stay active as much as you can with regular, gentle exercise to maintain overall health.
Clue up GP on your meds
Q: AT a recent eye test I was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration and was advised a daily intake of the supplement Macushield Gold could slow the disease’s progression.
But it could conflict with the intake of daily aspirin and cause blood clotting.
Can you advise the best course of action?
A: Macushield Gold is a dietary supplement containing antioxidants, zeaxanthin, lutein and meso-zeaxanthin, which are thought to support eye health and may slow down the progression of age-related macular degeneration.
It’s true in theory that taking Macushield Gold and aspirin together can potentially increase the risk of bleeding or affect blood clotting.
But this doesn’t affect everyone.
It is best to discuss with your GP, who knows the reasons why you take aspirin and can weigh up the risks versus benefits for you as an individual.
It’s really important to let your pharmacist and GP know if you start taking any over-the-counter medicines or supplements so they can check for interactions with your existing medications.
This includes any prescribed eye drops, which can sometimes have interactions with oral medications.