Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Dry Throat, Sinus Pressure And Dryness In My Lungs?
Question: Hello and thank you for answering my question!
For over three weeks now feeling unwell with dry throat, sinus pressure and dry feeling in my lungs. Sometimes it feels like I have blurred vision for 20-30 minutes at the time but not all the time. It seems I can't clear my sinuses with anything. Took course of Zitromax and did not help. Have upper back pain so I did chest/lungs x-ray and it was normal. Have mucus sometimes when caugh or try to clear my throat/nose (yellow to dark yellow with dark small spots). I am smoker and doctor things I have asthma so he gave me Seratide inhaler wich helps with breathing some, but I feel more like I have some infection that just don't want to go away. Was thinking to try Levaquin since it helped me once when different kind of infection (prostatits with severe joint pain for months). I am a smoker.
For over three weeks now feeling unwell with dry throat, sinus pressure and dry feeling in my lungs. Sometimes it feels like I have blurred vision for 20-30 minutes at the time but not all the time. It seems I can't clear my sinuses with anything. Took course of Zitromax and did not help. Have upper back pain so I did chest/lungs x-ray and it was normal. Have mucus sometimes when caugh or try to clear my throat/nose (yellow to dark yellow with dark small spots). I am smoker and doctor things I have asthma so he gave me Seratide inhaler wich helps with breathing some, but I feel more like I have some infection that just don't want to go away. Was thinking to try Levaquin since it helped me once when different kind of infection (prostatits with severe joint pain for months). I am a smoker.
Brief Answer:
Stop smoking and go for sputum examination
Detailed Answer:
HI,
Thanks for your query.
I went through your symptoms and strongly feel that you have upper and lower respiratory tract infection.
You can go for levofloxacin (Levaquin) 500 mg for 5 days. But the condition is tuberculosis must be ruled out since it is a second line drug for the same and you cough have been for 3 weeks.
I strongly recommend you to go for sputum examination first (gram staining, culture, AFB staining), then you can start levofloxacin. It is a good antibiotic and has good respiratory penetration.
Since you have been smoker and have got shortness of breath, It will be a wise decision to go for simple breathing test called spirometry, to have a baseline idea of asthma, if it is there. And if it is present, smoking cessation will help you to gain control of breathlessness and to sustain it. Otherwise there may be treatment failure with seretide. You can take the help of cessation clinics for the same...
Best wishes
Stop smoking and go for sputum examination
Detailed Answer:
HI,
Thanks for your query.
I went through your symptoms and strongly feel that you have upper and lower respiratory tract infection.
You can go for levofloxacin (Levaquin) 500 mg for 5 days. But the condition is tuberculosis must be ruled out since it is a second line drug for the same and you cough have been for 3 weeks.
I strongly recommend you to go for sputum examination first (gram staining, culture, AFB staining), then you can start levofloxacin. It is a good antibiotic and has good respiratory penetration.
Since you have been smoker and have got shortness of breath, It will be a wise decision to go for simple breathing test called spirometry, to have a baseline idea of asthma, if it is there. And if it is present, smoking cessation will help you to gain control of breathlessness and to sustain it. Otherwise there may be treatment failure with seretide. You can take the help of cessation clinics for the same...
Best wishes
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I always test positive on TB test but never had active TB illness. So sputum examination first? For a while I was worried about lung cancer so shall I also ask for CT scan even though my chest X-rays were ruled normal!? Thank you kindly
Brief Answer:
Sputum examination will be right decision
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for follow up,
A latent TB infection may re-activate any time. So better go for sputum testing. Since levofloxacin is also anti-tubercular drug, using this alone drug will relieve you but may cause drug resistant TB.
Usually CT scan is not needed if x-ray is normal,,,but considering your smoking history, if you are elderly one, have weight loss, bloody sputum etc may go for baseline CT testing....as x-ray has got low sensitivity than CT scan...
Best wishes
Sputum examination will be right decision
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for follow up,
A latent TB infection may re-activate any time. So better go for sputum testing. Since levofloxacin is also anti-tubercular drug, using this alone drug will relieve you but may cause drug resistant TB.
Usually CT scan is not needed if x-ray is normal,,,but considering your smoking history, if you are elderly one, have weight loss, bloody sputum etc may go for baseline CT testing....as x-ray has got low sensitivity than CT scan...
Best wishes
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Will follow up with your suggestion to go for the sputum testing first and than if needed antibiotics. I don't have bloody sputum, weight loss or shortness of breath and I am 47 years old but will keep a close eye for those symptoms as well. If it does not get better I will request CT. Thank you kindly and very best to you!
However, if Chest X ray is normal would that rule out TB?
However, if Chest X ray is normal would that rule out TB?
Brief Answer:
Xray may be normal in TB
Detailed Answer:
Normal chest xray do not rule out TB....In endobronchial TB it may be normal. Moreover chest xray reading has high inter observer variability.
Why not you are going for sputum...its non-invasive, cheap and readily available.
ragards
Xray may be normal in TB
Detailed Answer:
Normal chest xray do not rule out TB....In endobronchial TB it may be normal. Moreover chest xray reading has high inter observer variability.
Why not you are going for sputum...its non-invasive, cheap and readily available.
ragards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
