For some time now - maybe 6 or 7 months - I've been waking up in the morning coughing. It wasn't a cold or anything like that. I thought it was old age catching up with me.

But this morning I realized I'm not coughing in the morning. I've changed just 3 things: reducing my carbs - I was eating 15 - 25 carbs/day, now I'm averaging 10 or less; drinking a lot more water; and eating more salt.

I don't know which change helped - maybe all 3 together.

Thought I'd toss this out in the chance it might help someone else.

I used to have a lot of congestion and coughing caused by a bad hiatal hernia. Since I have lost 30 pounds my hiatal hernia is no longer an issue. So no more coughing and congestion. I did not realize why I had so much coughing and clearing my throat until last summer, It is caused by reflux. Who knew?

Dry cough and hoarseness or sore throat are a common sign of GERD, yet few seem to know about it. Only the severe heartburn seen in TV ads appears to count. Whatever it was, glad you are better! Thanks to LC. Stay off the wheat...it was what was causing my DH's GERD all these years.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...ms/con-20025201

I haven't had any wheat in a long time. Bread & potato chips were my trigger foods/main binge foods. I don't want to do any experimenting to find out if they still are.