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Suggest Treatment For Intermittent Cough
Posted on
Wed, 3 Sep 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 3 Sep 2014
Answered on
Thu, 25 Sep 2014
Last reviewed on
Question : for 6 months now I have had an intermittent cough. It is triggered by one location in my chest/right lung next to my sternum. This spot feels itchy and the cough begins. the right side of my neck aches and my right eye tears up. I wake up coughing at night sometimes. I got a new puppy 8 months ago but I have always had a dog, no problem. Is this asthma? Why just one location in my chest?
Brief Answer:
could be a small cavity in the lung
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query and history.
This appears to me that there is lesion in the said location in the right lung, may be a small cavity or so. This can be found out by a CT scan of the chest with a marker placed on this point and scanned in a HRCT- high resolution CT scan mode ( 1 mm sections).
Aching in the right side of the neck and watering of the right may be an incidental finding or be connected by some nerve plexuses connecting all these points.
This may not be asthma. Clinical examination by a Physician or Pulmonologist can easily tell this by auscultation of the chest with classical rhonchi ( wheezing sound heard through stethoscope )
The waking up at nights can be due to pent-up secretions in this point irritating the bronchial tree.
It is 6 months and high time to consult a Specialist and get investigated accordingly to find the root cause and get treated properly.
could be a small cavity in the lung
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query and history.
This appears to me that there is lesion in the said location in the right lung, may be a small cavity or so. This can be found out by a CT scan of the chest with a marker placed on this point and scanned in a HRCT- high resolution CT scan mode ( 1 mm sections).
Aching in the right side of the neck and watering of the right may be an incidental finding or be connected by some nerve plexuses connecting all these points.
This may not be asthma. Clinical examination by a Physician or Pulmonologist can easily tell this by auscultation of the chest with classical rhonchi ( wheezing sound heard through stethoscope )
The waking up at nights can be due to pent-up secretions in this point irritating the bronchial tree.
It is 6 months and high time to consult a Specialist and get investigated accordingly to find the root cause and get treated properly.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks for your detailed answer. I made an appointment to see a doctor. But -lesion? Is that just another word for cancer? I was a light smoker for 20 years (usually 3 cigs per day) but quit completely more than three years ago.
Brief Answer:
Lesion does NOT mean cancer alone.
Detailed Answer:
Lesion is not another word for cancer. Lesion means just a part of body that is not normal, it can be benign also.
And in 6 months your symptoms would have been increased if it were to be a cancer of lungs.
Great that you have made an appointment to see a Doctor, insist for CT as explained.
Wishing you a good recovery .
Lesion does NOT mean cancer alone.
Detailed Answer:
Lesion is not another word for cancer. Lesion means just a part of body that is not normal, it can be benign also.
And in 6 months your symptoms would have been increased if it were to be a cancer of lungs.
Great that you have made an appointment to see a Doctor, insist for CT as explained.
Wishing you a good recovery .
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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