I have what started out as a minor itchy throat last week, and it's gradually gotten worse to where it's this constant, intense, annoying dry cough. My throat itches sooo bad, and it's relieved by coughing (sometimes a violent cough) for a few minutes, and then another coughing attack comes on. It feels like I want to reach down in my throat and scratch the heck out of it--it itches so bad. It's also red when I take a flashlight and look in the back of it. I've coughed so much that I'm hoarse, but my only other symptoms are a slight stuffy nose and a slightly run-down feeling. I'm not coughing up any phlegm whatsoever, but the cough seems to be getting slightly worse. I've tried the whole steamy water thing in the shower, and hot liquids, cough drops, and they only help for a few minutes. After I get out of the shower or finish my hot drink/cough drop, the coughing comes back.
This does not feel like I normal cold to me, with the intense stuffy nose, phlegm, and all. I ran a race this past weekend, and although I was fine in the race, afterward, I was coughing a lot and felt like my breathing tubes were closing up on me. I'm fine on normal runs, too, minus the slightly run-down feeling, but when I get done, the dry hacking starts up again, and that's when it's at its worst. I don't think it's any irritants, since I'm in the same environment I've always been in, and it's too cold where I live for seasonal allergies--no recent changes in the weather either. Anyone have any ideas? This cough is so annoying, and it's exhausting to have these violent coughing fits--the urge to cough doesn't go away when I ignore it either. I'm a relatively healthy 22 y/o female, if that matters.