Chioma had been given cough syrups and antibiotics every harmattan for 6 years. Nobody had ever spirometry tested her. Mascot Healthcare confirmed cough-variant asthma and an inhaler stopped her seasonal cough pattern entirely.
Personal trainer, Gbagada. Presented with 6th consecutive year of a dry, persistent cough lasting 6–8 weeks every harmattan season — with chest tightness and wheeze on exercise. Spirometry showed mild reversible airflow obstruction. Managed empirically as cough each year; never diagnosed.
Allergic Bronchitis / Cough-Variant AsthmaChioma had given up expecting to be symptom-free in harmattan. Every November, the cough started. She went to the pharmacy, got a combination cough syrup (containing an antihistamine and sometimes an antibiotic), took it for 2 weeks, and waited for February. The cough always went by itself by March.
This year, the cough was affecting her training — she was coughing during sprint sessions and had a noticeable wheeze after HIIT workouts. A client who was a doctor asked if she had ever had a breathing test. She hadn't.
At Mascot Healthcare, spirometry was performed. The pre-bronchodilator result showed mild airflow obstruction. After salbutamol was inhaled, the FEV1/FVC improved dramatically — confirming reversibility. "This is cough-variant asthma," the doctor said. "You've been treating it with cough syrup for 6 years. You need an inhaler."
Cough-variant asthma presents as a persistent dry cough — often without wheeze or classical dyspnoea — typically triggered by cold air, exercise, or allergens. It is the most common cause of chronic persistent cough in young adults.
A dry, hacking, non-productive cough starting every year in November and lasting until February.
A tight chest sensation during runs — worse in cold early-morning training sessions.
A mild audible wheeze after high-intensity training sessions — "like my chest is tight after sprints."
Completely asymptomatic from March to October — the seasonal pattern points strongly to an allergen trigger.
Pre-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC 72%; post-salbutamol: 84% — significant reversibility confirming reactive airway disease.
Combination cough syrup (antihistamine + dextromethorphan) — suppressed the cough partially; did not address the airway inflammation.
Antibiotics (3 courses across 6 years) — no bacterial cause; no effect on allergic bronchitis.
Hot lemon and ginger — soothing; no pharmacological effect on bronchospasm.
Wearing a scarf over the mouth in the cold — partially helpful by warming inspired air; not treatment.
Cough-variant asthma confirmed on spirometry (reversible airflow obstruction). Allergen history: house dust mites and cold dry air — the dominant harmattan triggers.
Treatment: a daily preventer inhaler, with a separate reliever inhaler for breakthrough symptoms. Technique was demonstrated and checked. She was told to use the preventer inhaler daily from October through February — the harmattan months.
Exercise-induced symptoms: a dose of the reliever inhaler shortly before training to prevent exercise-triggered bronchospasm. A written asthma action plan was provided.
Cough-Variant Asthma / Allergic Bronchitis (spirometry: reversible airflow obstruction; seasonal harmattan pattern; exercise-triggered wheeze)
Daily preventer inhaler Oct–Feb; reliever inhaler as needed; pre-exercise reliever inhaler; written asthma action plan; allergen control; spirometry repeat in 3 months
At 3 weeks on inhaler: cough completely resolved for first time in November. No exercise wheeze. At 3 months: spirometry normalised.
First harmattan in 6 years without a cough. No exercise wheeze. Spirometry normalised at 3 months. Chioma continues the seasonal inhaler protocol.
A dry persistent cough that recurs annually, worsens in the cold, and is associated with exercise wheeze should be spirometry tested before year 2 — let alone year 6.
Cough-variant asthma responds rapidly and completely to inhaled corticosteroids. The cough syrup was never the right treatment.
Annual harmattan cough with exercise wheeze is cough-variant asthma. A spirometry test and an inhaler fix it — cough syrups never will.
Walk in to Mascot Healthcare, Akoka — same-day consultation, transparent pricing, 4.9★ rated.