Chronic cough 4 months a year

[Suzi888]

I get a cough, a very unpleasant and constant one that lasts through winter. It happens every year but last year and this year have been particularly bad. It’s relentless, I keep the whole house awake coughing and I’m exhausted!
Saw the Doctor last year and he said it was viral and would be gone in two weeks. I called the surgery yesterday and Doctor has arranged an ECG and a blood test but the former will take a few years. I thought he would’ve performed a lung function test (the tube you breathe into). He said they’ve lost my previous ECG and X-rays.

Any ideas what it could be? Should I pay privately? I’m worried as we moved and I had to change surgeries and this doctor is always very dismissive of symptoms, the last ailment resulted in five days of hospitalisation because he said I was fine when I clearly wasn’t!
What would you do?

Have you been tested for asthma ?

Sounds like cough variant asthma.

I have cough variant asthma and it's always worse in Autumn and Winter.
A chronic cough can also be a symptom of post nasal drip and silent reflux.

Sounds like asthma.

Another one for asthma

I had this - diagnosed aged 56 with cough variant asthma. I use a preventer inhaler daily and carry the ventonil - rarely have to use it, but there are times of the year when I do need to.