The Inherited Cough

Matty has been coughing intermittently for at least 2 months and in between that he has had at least 2 to 3 visits (lost the exact count!) to the doctors' and had been taking leftover cough syrup on and off. The cough didn't sound that serious but it is very irritating that his throat just doesn't seem to clear up after so long. We have been blaming it on the bad air quality that we see (yes... "see" because it is so hazy) the last 2 months.


Finally decided that he needed a specialist to help us get to the root of the problem, and off we went to a respiratory specialist yesterday. After a Q&A session that lasted a couple of minutes on the family medical history and his own medical condition, the doctor confirmed that this is a hereditary condition. I cannot remember the term the doctor used, but Matty's sensitivity can result in sinus, bronchitis (asthma if left untreated) and eczema. So the poor boy is now on a treatment course that will take up to 3 months to help him recover and hopefully keep the next relapse as far away as possible.

Because it is genetic and no way to cure it we just need to deal with the situation as it comes along. After having to manage his eczema for 2 years now, I know that it will get better over time only because we have learnt to pick it up early enough to prevent a full blown problem. It sort of becomes a part and parcel of our lives. For now, I will take consolation that 94% of the children will grow out of it by the time they hit 16 and in the meantime pray that he falls within that percentage.