Chest

Wet cough

• Cough is the symptom of an involuntary reflex forcefully expelling air from the lungs.

• Wet Cough is a cough productive of phlegm.
• Wet Cough can result from:
· postnasal drip
· infections of the airways; throat or lungs.

• Wet cough should always be evaluated by your doctor.

modified March 9, 2009

Read more – March 9, 2009

Asthma

• Asthma is the manifestation of reactive airways disease.

· Wheezing is the symptom and sign of asthma.
· Wheezing is a sound that occurs from partially obstructive airflow in the lungs.

· Wheezing can be caused by:
allergic reaction causing inflammation of airways
infection of the airways
exercise induced airway constriction
inflammation of the lungs

· Wheezing can commonly result from exercising in some individuals.

· New wheezing or worsening wheezing should always be evaluated by your doctor.

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Hoarseness

• Hoarseness (Coarse voice) is the symptom of a decrease in the quality of phonation, the production of sound through the vocal cords.

• Hoarseness can be a symptom of:
· gastroesophageal reflux
· post nasal drip (from chronic allergic rhinitis)
· laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx due to allergies, infection or stomach acid)
· overuse syndrome (excessive speaking)
· polyp or cancer of the vocal cord
· laryngeal cancer
· lung cancer
· hypothyroidism
· thyroid cancer

• Hoarseness that persists or worsens should be evaluated by your doctor.

Read more – December 16, 2008

Dry cough

• Dry cough is a symptom of throat or bronchiole irritation.

• Dry cough is a cough without production of mucous or phlegm from the bronchioles (lungs).

• Dry cough can persists after a respiratory infection (post-infectious cough) due to residual inflammation of the airways.

• Dry cough can also be a sign of:
· asthma
· post nasal drip/allergic sinusitis
· silent gastroesophageal reflux disease
· medications such as ACE inhibitors
· lung cancer

• Dry cough that persists or worsens should be evaluated by your doctor.

Read more – December 14, 2008

Hemoptysis

• Hemoptysis (coughing blood) is the symptom of blood tinged phlegm to obvious frank blood with coughing.

• Hemoptysis (coughing blood) can be due to:
· bronchitis (an infection of the bronchioles in the lungs)
· bronchiectasis (scaring of the lungs)
· pneumonia (infection of the lower airways- the alveoli)
· autoimmune disorders (diseases in which the immune system inappropriately attacks the lung tissue).
· crack cocaine use
· pulmonary embolism
· severe heart failure
· lung cancer

• Hemoptysis (coughing blood) should always be evaluated by your doctor

Read more – December 12, 2008

Chronic cough

• Chronic cough is the symptom of a cough present for more than three weeks.

• Chronic cough can be a symptom of:
· asthma (reactive airways disease)
· silent gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD without burning)
· medications (ACE Inhibitors)
· post nasal drip
· lung cancer

• Chronic cough should be evaluated by your doctor.

Read more – December 10, 2008

Wheezing

• Wheezing is a high-pitched, musical type of sound that occurs from the lungs while breathing and is louder with expiration.

• Wheezing is the sound that occurs from partially obstructive airflow through the airways of the lungs.

• Wheezing is usually a sign of asthma, the disease of over-reactive airways.

• Wheezing can also occur from:
· Allergic reaction
· Anaphylaxis
· Exercising in certain individuals
· Infection or inflammation of the lungs
· Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema or chronic bronchitis from smoking)
· Congestive heart failure (cardiac asthma)
· Bronchitis
· Pneumonia
· Gastroesophageal reflux disease (acid reflux into the bronchioles causing inflammation)
· Pulmonary embolism
· Angioedema
· Vocal cord dysfunction

• Wheezing can be a serious sign and should be evaluated by your doctor.

Read more – September 24, 2008

Cough

• Cough is the symptom of an involuntary reflex forcefully expelling air from the lungs.

• Cough can result from:
· allergies
· postnasal drip
· asthma
· infections of the airways, throat and lungs.
· acid reflux from the stomach (often silent, without heart burn)
· lung cancer

• Chronic cough should always be evaluated by your doctor.

Read more