Summary

Chronic cough, possibly due to toxicant exposure, may be improved by using a low-risk nutrition-centred strategy. A 71-year-old man experiencing chronic cough for the past 25 years presented to the Cleveland Clinic. In recent years, the patient’s cough had increased in frequency and intensity despite pulmonary interventions. The patient’s social history revealed exposures as a foundry worker to dimethylethylamine and triethylamine two known respiratory irritants. The patient was placed on a nutrition programme (nutrient dense, low glycaemic index and anti-inflammatory), encouraged to use a sauna each day and placed on nutraceutical supplementation that supports liver detoxification, digestive health and inflammation reduction. Over the course of approximately 1 year, the patient experienced improvement in his cough despite the discontinuation of formal, intensive pulmonary therapy. The patient also experienced weight loss, lower blood pressure and glycaemic status improvement, as well as decreased fatigue and increased energy.