Student Question
Hello Master Chi, my father is in Guangzhou. After the reopening, he developed a cough that has persisted for over 20 days with no sign of improvement.
Years ago he had severe pneumonia — that was when he finally quit smoking.
Based on the latest updates, I’ve consulted several specialist doctors, but their diagnoses differ. In the beginning, he had a runny nose, nasal discharge, and a sore throat. Chinese medicine helped somewhat, but a couple of days later the cough came back along with yellow phlegm — not a large amount. He then tried cough medicine, followed by antibiotics (azithromycin), and later more Chinese medicine, which gave slight improvement.
Inhaled steroids had no effect. Yesterday a doctor said it was allergic cough and prescribed a steroid medication along with loquat cough gel capsules — but after taking them he felt worse. After such a prolonged cough, he now feels it has progressed into lung-kidney deficiency (a pattern of chronic depletion in Chinese medicine where persistent coughing depletes both the lung and kidney systems), with lingering weakness and breathlessness.
Are there any hospitals or doctors in Guangzhou who specialize in this kind of condition? I would appreciate your guidance, Master.
Master Chi’s Response
I’ve reached out to specialists in this area. Two names worth knowing:
- Dr. Zhao Jinhai, Southern Hospital — primarily focuses on the long-term management of chronic cough.
- Dr. Chen Ruchong, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital — specializes in long-term and refractory (difficult-to-treat) cough.
See if you can get an appointment with either of them. Wishing your father a swift recovery.