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Other symptoms include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, and chest discomfort. [2] The infection may last from a few to ten days. [2] The cough may persist for several weeks afterward with the total duration of symptoms usually around three weeks. [2] [1] Some have symptoms for up to six weeks. [3]
The diagnosis can be confirmed by the characteristic appearance of the chest X-ray and an arterial oxygen level (PaO 2) that is strikingly lower than would be expected from symptoms. Gallium 67 scans are also useful in the diagnosis. They are abnormal in about 90% of cases and are often positive before the chest X-ray becomes abnormal.
Chest congestion is usually caused by excess mucus in the airways, says Meilan King Han, M.D., M.S., professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the ...
Having green, yellow, or thickened phlegm (sputum) does not always indicate the presence of an infection. Also, if an infection is present, the color of the phlegm (sputum) does not determine whether a virus, a bacterium or another pathogen has caused it. Simple allergies can also cause changes in the color of the mucus. [1]
Your doctor may take a more in-depth health history and order a chest X-ray before making a diagnosis." If your mucus is brown or black… A fungal infection or polluted air can cause brown or ...
Acute bronchitis, also known as a chest cold, is a short-term inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs. [4] [6] The most common symptom is a cough that may or may not produce sputum. [4] [19] Other symptoms may include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, and chest discomfort. [6] Fever when present is mild. [20]
For most infections, the immune response of the body is enough to control and apprehend the infection within a couple days, but if the tissue and the cells can't fight off the infection, the creation of pus will begin to form in the lungs which then hardens into lung abscess or suppurative pneumonitis. [6]
Diagnosis is carried out in steps. Patient history is obtained, including the symptoms and their duration, as well as exposure to any risk factors of the disease. A chest X-ray may be performed to check for signs of inflammation [5] and a complete blood count will also be obtained.