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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
chronic infections...please help..cannot dx
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chronic infections...please help..cannot dx
by cookievk, Apr 07, 2004 12:00AM
I am a 45yr female..obese
i have been obese for 25+yrs and healthy all my life.
for the past 2-3 years i have had Chronic infections my many doctors cannot find an answer for. Please help. Tests I have had..immune blood tests..normal..ekg..minor mitral valve regurg. ct lungs..nodes abnormally large..thyroids normal..all blood tests normal..echo..normal..chest xrays normal...pulmonary functions normal. I get an infection every 2 months without fail. It usually starts in my sinus's but not always. The most recent stated in my chest. I always end up with severe wheezing and coughing. I am on anitbiotics and steroids every 2 months. It takes about a week or so for the infection to go away but I still have wheezing and I am always very tired. I sweat alot and am getting depressed with all of this. I have recently had my lingual tonsils removed..they where chronically large and infected. It did not help. My immune/allergist says I do not have asthma. My internist thinks if is from my job. I work in an outpatient lab at a hospital. My pulmonolgist says I have copd but does not know why. Any ideas? I also developed alopeca areata in July 2003. My hair is growing back but they do not know the cause. I also get a rash either on my arms or neck before or after an infection. I also now have tachycardia. My last vists showed hear rate 132..b/p is normal. I have a 24hr halter monitor scheduled for tomorrow just to rule out problems.
thanks for your time and help. I really need it.
i have been obese for 25+yrs and healthy all my life.
for the past 2-3 years i have had Chronic infections my many doctors cannot find an answer for. Please help. Tests I have had..immune blood tests..normal..ekg..minor mitral valve regurg. ct lungs..nodes abnormally large..thyroids normal..all blood tests normal..echo..normal..chest xrays normal...pulmonary functions normal. I get an infection every 2 months without fail. It usually starts in my sinus's but not always. The most recent stated in my chest. I always end up with severe wheezing and coughing. I am on anitbiotics and steroids every 2 months. It takes about a week or so for the infection to go away but I still have wheezing and I am always very tired. I sweat alot and am getting depressed with all of this. I have recently had my lingual tonsils removed..they where chronically large and infected. It did not help. My immune/allergist says I do not have asthma. My internist thinks if is from my job. I work in an outpatient lab at a hospital. My pulmonolgist says I have copd but does not know why. Any ideas? I also developed alopeca areata in July 2003. My hair is growing back but they do not know the cause. I also get a rash either on my arms or neck before or after an infection. I also now have tachycardia. My last vists showed hear rate 132..b/p is normal. I have a 24hr halter monitor scheduled for tomorrow just to rule out problems.
thanks for your time and help. I really need it.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Apr 13, 2004 12:00AM
, Apr 13, 2004 12:00AM
This is very complicated. I am glad you are working with a pulmonologist. The enlarged lymph nodes could be a sign of Sarcoid. You could have endobronchial sarcoid, which acts like asthma. Most, but not all, wheezing is caused by asthma. Maybe what you call "infections" are not really infections but are asthma episodes. If your pulmonologist is right in saying that you have COPD, that could be a predisposing factor for recurrent infections.
When your internist said it might be job related, he or she may be referring to a latex allergy.
Finally, your sinuses may well be the source of these infections. I would recommend that you have a good evaluation of your sinuses by an ENT and that you try nasal washes. A nasal wash helps remove mucus and bacteria from the nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease your symptoms. A prescription nasal steroid spray can decrease nasal swelling and mucus production. This will prolong the decrease in sinus pressure and improve sinus drainage. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may require several weeks of routine use to become effective. To help the nasal steroid spray work better, use it regularly after doing the nasal wash. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your doctor to see if doing nasal washes regularly would be helpful for you.
When your internist said it might be job related, he or she may be referring to a latex allergy.
Finally, your sinuses may well be the source of these infections. I would recommend that you have a good evaluation of your sinuses by an ENT and that you try nasal washes. A nasal wash helps remove mucus and bacteria from the nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease your symptoms. A prescription nasal steroid spray can decrease nasal swelling and mucus production. This will prolong the decrease in sinus pressure and improve sinus drainage. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may require several weeks of routine use to become effective. To help the nasal steroid spray work better, use it regularly after doing the nasal wash. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your doctor to see if doing nasal washes regularly would be helpful for you.
Thanks, Cookievk