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What Could Cause Weakness And Persistent Cough In An 83-year-old?
My father is 83 and normally in very good physical health. Never smoked or drank. He has had a cough for about a month now, sometimes wet and sometimes dry. He has had 2 different rounds of antibiotics and a round of steroids. He has progressively grown weaker till now can barely walk next door without being exhausted. Any thoughts on what could be going on? He had Infectious Hepititis about 45 yrs ago and could not work for 6 months.
Sat, 17 Nov 2018
Hello,
welcome to the 'Ask a Doctor' service.
Unfortunately the information you've provided is not enough to determine any diagnosis. I have some thoughts though and I'm going to share them with you.
Let me start from the infection itself. Having taken antibiotics usually means that the infection has been dealt with. If he still has fever or other signs of active infection then a new medical assessment is required. The cough and other symptoms like post-infectious fatigue may persist for a while even when the infection is gone.
The steroids may also cause some fatigue for various reasons. Muscle wasting, electrolyte disorders, direct effect on a patient's psychology, etc to name a few.
Sometimes old individuals need time to recover from any acute condition including infectious diseases. Perhaps this is the case with your father. Clinical assessment and appropriate laboratory testing may identify other potential causes.
I hope I've answered your question. Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Kind Regards!
welcome to the 'Ask a Doctor' service.
Unfortunately the information you've provided is not enough to determine any diagnosis. I have some thoughts though and I'm going to share them with you.
Let me start from the infection itself. Having taken antibiotics usually means that the infection has been dealt with. If he still has fever or other signs of active infection then a new medical assessment is required. The cough and other symptoms like post-infectious fatigue may persist for a while even when the infection is gone.
The steroids may also cause some fatigue for various reasons. Muscle wasting, electrolyte disorders, direct effect on a patient's psychology, etc to name a few.
Sometimes old individuals need time to recover from any acute condition including infectious diseases. Perhaps this is the case with your father. Clinical assessment and appropriate laboratory testing may identify other potential causes.
I hope I've answered your question. Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Kind Regards!
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