For years, a woman was told the persistent cough she struggled with was the result of "allergies," until an X-ray finally revealed something more alarming. Autumn, who does not wish to publicly share her full name, lives in Houston, Texas, and has been dealing with health issues for much of her life. "I was born with congenital heart defects, so my heart is severely deformed," she told Newsweek.
"I've undergone multiple open-heart surgeries to improve its function as much as possible, and they've really done an amazing job." Autumn has been less enamored, however, with the approach doctors took toward a persistent cough that dates back to 2018. Feeling unheard by a doctor is a common experience. A 2022 MITRE-Harris Poll found that 52 percent of Americans said their symptoms had been ignored, dismissed, or not believed when seeking medical treatment.
When Autumn first sought medical advice for her cough, she told doctors about the concerning symptoms. "It was a productive cough with green and yellow sputum, and it tasted sour, kind of like it does when you have pneumonia," she said. She was told the cough was simply "allergies." Then, during the pandemic, while receiving treatment for her heart condition, Autumn once again sought help for her cough.
Despite previously being told it was allergies, she was urged to take a COVID test. "I didn't understand that leap in logic. If it sounded like my lungs had an infection beforehand, why couldn't it still be an infection despite having it before COVID?" Autumn said.
Over the course of five years, Autumn saw two different doctors in a bid to get the help she needed. "I tried all the allergy medications, and nothing changed," she said. "Still a productive cough, yellow and green sputum, and extreme fatigue." Autumn said many of her symptoms, including her fatigue, were attributed to her heart condition despite the fact that she had exercised regularly before becoming unwell.
In the time that followed, Autumn underwent a cardiac ablation to address an arrhythmia and subsequently developed pneumonia. Though she received treatment for that illness, the cough never went away. "I started coughing up blood and decided to see a new doctor," Autumn said.
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