Curing A Nagging Cough w/Hypnosis

June 10 (ABC7) — Not all coughs are created equal. In children and some adults, there's something called a habit cough. Drug therapies are typically not effective for this type of cough. Dr. Dean Edell reports on an alternative treatment that may help.

It started as a bad cold and turned into an annoying habit cough. Eleven-year-old Ian hacked for 33 days straight and missed 20 days of school.

Ian Appelbaum, habit cougher: "I felt kind of miserable because I was coughing every one or two seconds."

Lee Thompson, Ian's mom: "But what was amazing was it was every waking moment. It was non-stop."

Dr. Howard Hall heard the clues immediately.

Howard R. Hall Ph.D., Psy.D., clinical psychologist: "In my waiting room, I can tell if there's a cough habit. For example, 'uh-huh' (coughs), it's a non-productive cough of course."

Dr. Hall prescribed hypnosis for Ian. A new study shows it's nearly 80 percent effective at stopping a habit cough. The idea is to reduce stress and anxiety. Ian practiced the method at home.

Ian Appelbaum: "I would usually start by closing my eyes, laying back and relaxing. I would think about what I enjoy doing."

Dr. Hall sometimes combines this bio-feedback method with hypnosis. This freeze-framer measures heart rate, relaxation and stress. As the patient gets calmer, the balloon floats higher.

Dr. Hall: "Hypnosis has a lot of applications. It also helps you sleep, and it's so helpful for a variety of conditions."

Within two days, Ian's cough was gone.

Ian Appelbaum: "It felt really good after I stopped coughing."

And now he can get back to doing the things he likes most.

Experts say, children often develop habit coughs after a common cold or flu. In many cases, the reason for the cough is psychological. They say biofeedback and hypnosis may help address the child's underlying needs.

One of the biggest benefits of hypnosis is there are no side-effects. Experts next want to try hypnosis on persistent adult coughs.

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