Chest & Lung – Page 2

How to stay in control of your Asthma

October 27th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

If you suffer from asthma and take medication for it, then you likely already know what triggers an attack for you. Allergies and intensive exercise are common triggers for most people, but the good news is that both of these triggers can be managed – it just takes a bit of know-how and vigilance.

What Actually Causes Asthma In The First Place?

It’s very difficult to nail down exactly causes a person to become asthmatic, but doctors believe it could come down to genetic predisposition and under-exposure to allergens at an early age. Under-exposure would happen if a child is brought up in an overly clean and sterile home environment. You see moms, a bit of dirt isn’t so bad!

What Are The Most Common Asthma Triggers?

We spoke Hello Doctor’s resident GP, Dr Kotze, to find out what the most common asthma triggers are, and here’s her top list of triggers:

Allergens such as dust mites, pollen, animal fur or feathers
Chest and airway infections, upper respiratory infections caused by cold and flu viruses, or sinus infections
Airborne irritants: chemical fumes, cigarette smoke and pollution
Medicines: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers including aspirin and ibuprofen
Alcohol and foods containing sulphites: sulphites are used as preservatives in concentrated fruit juice, jam, prawns, certain wines, and processed or convenience meals
Weather conditions: sudden changes in temperature, wind, poor air quality, cold and hot air, humidity
Emotional factors: stress or laughing
Living conditions: damp or mouldy walls, chemicals in carpets and flooring materials, and dust mites
Intense exercise: some people find their asthma symptoms are worse when they exercise. This doesn’t mean you should avoid exercising, you just need to make sure you warm up slowly before you do start exercising, to help prevent an attack
Severe heartburn

How Do I Stay Healthy With Asthma?

Asthma affects people of all ages, young and old, and the chances are your asthma started when you were still young. When it comes to staying healthy, the most important thing you can do is to know what triggers your asthma, and how you can control it. If you’re able to do this, you should be able to reduce symptoms and the number of attacks you have.

Make sure you have regular check-ups – at least twice a year – with your doctor, to help ensure your asthma is under control and that you’re taking the right medication. It’s very important that you know how to use your inhaler correctly, and that your close friends and family also know how to use it in case of an emergency. Always carry your inhaler with you!

Want to talk to one of our doctors about your asthma? Just sign up here!

Pneumonia – what you need to know

October 27th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Pneumonia is a lot more common than most people realise. It’s a serious illness, which can be life-threatening if the correct treatment isn’t given timeously.

What is pneumonia?

pneumonia is an infection of either one, or both, lungs
when a person has pneumonia, the alveoli of the lungs become inflamed
alveoli are tiny air sacs within the lungs, that allow for the movement of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and the bloodstream

What are the causes for pneumonia?

Bacteria: the most common causes are: Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influensae, Moraxella catarrhalis, TB
Viruses: the most common causes are: influenza A and B, swine flu, RSV, SARS virus, rhinovirus, measles virus, varicella-zoster (chicken pox) virus, herpes simplex virus
Fungi: more common in people with weakened immune systems and people who have chronic illnesses
Bacteria-like organisms: for example, Mycoplasma pneumoniae (the so-called “atypical pneumonia”)
Chemical or aspiration pneumonia: when either chemicals, food, drink, vomit or saliva enters the lungs. This is more commonly seen in patients who have an impaired gag reflex

Does it make a difference how, or where, one gets pneumonia?

Community-acquired pneumonia

this refers to pneumonia that people get outside of a hospital, or a health care facility (such as nursing home, rehabilitation or frail care centre)
it is usually easier to treat

Hospital-acquired pneumonia

this refers to pneumonia that a patient gets whilst being in hospital
you can also get this type of pneumonia in an ICU or in association to being on a ventilator
this type of pneumonia can be more resistant to anti-biotics

Who is at risk of getting pneumonia?

children under the age of 2 years, and adults older than 65 years of age
smokers
people who are immune-suppressed (HIV+, cancer patients, patients taking long-term steroids)
people with chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, asthma, COPD, cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis)
being hospitalised, recent surgery or trauma
having had a recent viral respiratory infection (increase the risk of a secondary bacterial infection)
neurological impairment (Parkinson’s disease, stroke, dementia, motor-neuron disease, M.S.)
living in a nursing home or frail-care facility, or a hostel

How is pneumonia treated?

Treatment of pneumonia depends on various factors:

the age of the patient
the type of pneumonia (community vs. hospital-acquired)
the underlying cause of the pneumonia
how seriously ill the patient is clinically
whether the patient has other chronic illnesses, or is immune-suppressed

Treatment can include:

Rest and adequate fluid intake
Anti-biotics or anti-viral medication, if needed
Medication to lower a fever/temperature (paracetamol, anti-inflammatories)
Cough medication (a cough suppressant should only be given if a doctor specifically prescribes one)
Hospitalisation (if a patient is seriously ill, intravenous fluids and anti-biotics may be necessary, oxygen, nebulisation, chest physiotherapy, special breathing exercises, or ICU admission for possible ventilation)

Can pneumonia be prevented, and if so, how?

Not all cases of pneumonia can be prevented, but there are things one can do to lower the risk of acquiring this potentially serious illness:

Covering one’s mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing prevents the spread of pneumonia
By observing good hand hygiene and washing one’s hands regularly and thoroughly
By not smoking
By staying away from people who are already ill with respiratory tract infections
People who are already ill with pneumonia or a respiratory tract infection should stay off work or school to recover and prevent spreading the infection to others (via coughing and sneezing )
By being vaccinated (annual flu virus vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine for age 65+ and patients with chronic illnesses, Measles and Chicken pox vaccine in certain cases)
By eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy body weight
HIV+ patients should discuss additional ways that they can prevent certain types of pneumonia and other infections, with their doctor

If you’re worried about any chesty symptoms, chat to one of our doctors. They’d be happy to help, and are available 24/7, 365 days a year.

What is Pulmonary Hypertension?

October 27th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Pulmonary Hypertension is a form of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of your heart.

Pulmonary Hypertension begins when tiny arteries in your lungs, called pulmonary arterioles, and capillaries become narrowed, blocked or destroyed. This makes it harder for blood to flow through your lungs, and increases pressure in your lung’s arteries. As the pressure builds, your heart’s lower right chamber has to work harder to pump blood through your lungs, and over time this causes the heart muscle to weaken and eventually fail.

Pulmonary Hypertension is a serious illness that becomes progressively worse and is sometimes fatal. Although it isn’t curable, there are treatments available that can help lessen symptoms and improve quality of life.

Symptoms of Pulmonary Hypertension

In its early stages, the signs and symptoms of pulmonary hypertension may not be noticeable for months or even years. As the disease progresses however, symptoms increasingly become worse. The most common symptoms include:

Shortness of breath, first while exercising and eventually while at rest
Dizziness or fainting spells
Fatigue
Chest pain or pressure
Swelling in your ankles, legs and eventually in your abdomen
Racing pulse or heart palpitations
A blue tinge to your lips and skin

Causes of Pulmonary Hypertension

When an underlying cause for high blood pressure in the lungs can’t be found, the condition is called idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPH). Some people with IPH have a gene that predisposes them to the development of pulmonary hypertension, but in most people with IPH the cause isn’t known.

Secondary pulmonary hypertension is a more common form of the condition, and it’s caused by other medical conditions. These causes include:

Blood clots in the lungs
Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as emphysema
Connective tissue disorders, such as scleroderma or lupus erythematosus
Sleep apnoea and other sleep disorders
Congenital heart abnormalities (i.e. you’re born with a condition, for example Eisenmenger syndrome*)
Sickle cell anaemia
Chronic liver disease
AIDS
Lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that causes scarring in the tissue between the lungs’ air sacs
Left-sided heart failure
Living at altitudes higher than 8,000 feet (2,438 meters), or climbing to such heights
Use of certain stimulant drugs, such as cocaine

*Eisenmenger syndrome is a congenital heart defect, most commonly caused by a hole in the heart between the two lower heart chambers, called a ventricular septal defect.

Complications of Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension can lead to a number of complications, including:

Right-sided heart failure
Blood clots. Pulmonary hypertension increases the risk of blood clots developing in the small arteries in your lungs, which can be dangerous if you already have narrowed or blocked blood vessels.
Arrhythmia. Irregular heartbeats in the upper or lower chambers of the heart may be complications of pulmonary hypertension. These can lead to palpitations, dizziness or fainting and can be fatal.
Bleeding. Pulmonary hypertension can lead to bleeding into the lung space and the coughing up of blood, and it can be fatal.

Tests and diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is hard to diagnose in its early stages as it’s often not detected in a routine physical exam. Even when the disease is more advanced, the signs and symptoms are similar to those of more common heart and lung conditions. The doctor may do a number of tests to rule out any other possible causes.

The first group of tests done to diagnose pulmonary hypertension include blood tests, a chest X-ray, a Doppler echocardiogram, and perhaps an exercise echocardiogram to help determine how well your heart works under stress.
Further tests include:

Transesophageal echocardiogram
Right heart catheterisation performed under local anaesthesia and sedation
A pulmonary function test
Perfusion lung scan
CT scan
MRI test
An open-lung biopsy. This will only be done to see if certain treatments are suitable, or to allow discontinuation of some medication.
Genetic tests

Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension

Treatment for pulmonary hypertension is often complex and highly personalized, and requires extensive follow-up care. It’s possible that during treatment, medication and treatments may change if they’re no longer effective.

When pulmonary hypertension is caused by another condition, your doctor will treat the underlying cause whenever possible. Treatment will include a combination of medication and lifestyle changes including restrictions on travelling, stress and physical activities, and plenty of rest.

Read Jenna Lowe’s Story for more info on this condition, or chat to one of our doctors.

Sources: WebMd, Mayo Clinic

Fever & coughing: is it just flu or could it be TB?

August 11th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Earlier this year, there was an outbreak of drug-resistant Tuberculosis in Australia. It started when a doctor in Sydney misdiagnosed a student with asthma and lung cancer – before realising it was TB.

Scary stuff! It’s understandable, though: TB shares symptoms with other conditions, such as flu, but they should be treated with completely different medications.

TB is caused by the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is easily spread when people with active lung disease expel the small airborne TB particles from their lungs into the air through coughing. Other people then breathe in the infectious droplets into their lungs, where the bacteria begin to multiply.

Influenza (flu) is caused by an influenza virus. The virus “sits” in the infected person’s nose and throat and when they speak, sneeze or cough, the virus becomes active – and infectious. It can be left on hands, surfaces, and items like tissues, washcloths and handkerchiefs. You can be infected with flu viruses via the air, or an infected hand or object touching your nose or mouth.

Symptoms in common

General coughing
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing (shortness of breath)
Weakness and fatigue
Loss of appetite and weight
Chills and fevers
Joint pain
Diarrhoea

TB is a beast of a disease that’s wreaking havoc across the country and continent. According to the World Health Organization, South Africa has the third highest incidence of any country after India and China.

How to know the difference:

A cough that starts out dry but later produces sputum (thick liquid from deep inside the lungs) or blood.
Coughing for longer than a month.
Rales (strange, rattling sound in the lungs when breathing).
Excessive sweating, including sweating at night.
Hearing loss.
Diarrhoea.
A persistent lump or lesion. (Especially lumps under the arms, from the lymph glands).
Clubbing of fingers or toes; (the nails become swollen, making the fingers look a bit like drum-sticks).

Those at risk for TB:

A weakened immune system is the most important factor in the development of TB after exposure to the organism. Even though research hasn’t directly linked TB to stress, it’s suggested that excessive stress weakens the immune system and generally increases one’s risk of contracting diseases. More than half of all TB patients also have HIV. The latest figure from the South African Department of Health is that 73% of TB patients are HIV positive. You are at higher risk of getting TB, if you:

have been in close contact with someone who has TB.
were born where TB is common.
live in an area where overcrowding, poor ventilation, malnutrition, substance abuse, and unemployment are rife.
have a condition that weakens the immune system (diabetes, cancer or kidney disease).
have already been infected with TB in the last two years.

When do I need the doctor?

In both conditions, you need medical care:

To prevent flu, you’ll need the flu-vaccine, and you can treat the symptoms with over-the-counter medication from your chemist.
For TB, you will take a TB test. Your doctor will then prescribe TB medication: which you will need to stay on until the course is complete: 6 months.

If any of the risk-factors apply to you, and you get a cough, it’s best to see your doctor ASAP. To treat TB successfully takes at least six months, and medication must be taken exactly as prescribed. Incomplete treatment or not following a consistent treatment regimen may cause you to develop drug-resistant strains of TB, which may be extremely difficult to cure and can even be fatal.

References

The cost of tuberculosis

April 18th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by a bacterium. It destroys parts of the lungs, making it difficult to breathe, but can also spread to and attack the bones, joints and nervous system.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about one percent of our population develops TB disease each year.

In South Africa the resistant strains of TB are on the increase. In fact, only five percent of TB is drug-resistant worldwide. This means that they are difficult to treat, time-consuming, and expensive.

According to WHO, it can cost several hundred times more to treat drug-resistant TB than TB that responds to standard drugs. A recent study found that drug-resistant TB can cost South Africa over R200 000 to treat (per patient).

Why so expensive?
There are two main types of drug-resistant TB: multi drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR TB). Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) occurs when the bacteria become resistant to at least the two first-line drugs, Isoniazid and Rifampin.

This type of TB may emerge if:

You don’t take your medication regularly.
You don’t complete the full six month schedule.
You spend time with someone who has MDR TB. Crowded places and poor ventilation can increase your risk.
The wrong drugs or combination of drugs are prescribed.
The drug supply is unreliable or of poor quality.

XDR TB is a sub-form of MDR TB with additional resistance to anti-TB medications, meaning it responds to even fewer drugs.

Both MDR-TB and XDR-TB don’t respond to the standard six months of TB treatment with first-line anti-TB drugs. Treatments options are more expensive, not always available and aren’t guaranteed to work. Less than half of those infected are ever cured.

What’s more, these drugs can be costly to your health. You may have severe side-effects like deafness and psychosis. In some cases, even more severe drug resistant strains could develop. With new MDR TB strains on the rise and additional resistance to other drugs available for treating tuberculosis, the worst case scenario is that TB will become completely untreatable.

What you can do

Take your TB medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor.
Don’t stop your treatment early, even if you feel better.
Avoid those infected with TB or MDR TB.

Reference:

Dealing with childhood asthma

April 16th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Globally, more than 80 percent of childhood asthma starts before age five. It’s more common in boys and in children who have allergies or come from allergic families. Asthma affects about one in every 10 children. Diagnosing asthma in infants and toddlers can be difficult as many children wheeze and suffer frequent colds, especially if they go to a crèche or daycare where they continually pick up germs and viruses.

Some children also have naturally smaller airways. This may be a result of inherited factors, smoking by the mother during pregnancy, maternal viral illness during pregnancy or if the child is born prematurely. Research shows that not all children who wheeze go on to develop asthma but, if your child has recurrent bronchitis or a cough especially at night or during the early morning, then be on the alert.

Asthma alert:

Look: if your child gets an anxious look in the eye, draws his shoulders up and you can see the spaces between his ribs, he’s struggling to get enough air.

Observe: if your child becomes tired within six to 10 minutes of playing, if his playing slows down, if he avoids action sports or complains of a tight chest, there’s a good chance he has asthma.

Listen: a chronic cough, whistling lungs, shortness of breath and shallow breathing are indications of asthma. In children, a chronic cough is seen as asthma until a doctor says otherwise.

Be alert: specialists warn that what you might think is the flu or a cold is often asthma.

What to do in an emergency

A moderate or mild asthma attack. Signs:

Tightness in the chest.
Coughing up of mucus.
A feeling of restlessness and trouble sleeping.
A wheezing or whistling sound when breathing.

He needs two puffs from his reliever (controller medication will not relieve bronchoconstriction during an acute attack).

If two puffs are not enough:

If the asthma symptoms don’t ease within two minutes, the attack is severe, and you must call a doctor. While waiting, or driving your child to the doctor, keep up the reliever therapy. He now needs to use five to 10 puffs in a row. Imagine a huge boa constrictor tightening its grip around the child’s chest.

Special warning
In some cases when the attack appears to have eased up, a second wave, which is even more dangerous, can hit. This happens when the airways continue to swell, and this can last for days or even weeks. It can also happen even if there are no asthma symptoms, and can trigger more attacks as the lungs become more sensitive to other irritants.

The second wave often sees patients admitted to hospital and given medicine to reduce the swelling in their air tubes and relax the tightened muscles.

If five to 10 puffs do not work:
You need to get to a hospital – but remember to take his pump along and keep giving him five to 10 puffs along the way.

You may also see the following:

Wheezing (usually loudly) or noisy breathing.
Breathing fast (more than 30 breaths per minute) or irregular breathing, trying to clear his throat.
Unable to speak in sentences and trouble talking.
Anxious look, flared nostrils (with pulse rate higher than 120/min) and neck muscles becoming tight during breathing.
Spaces between ribs visible when sucking in air (more prominent in a child), skin becoming tight around the ribs, or peak flow having dropped below 60 percent.
Hunched-over posture.
Paleness or blue/grey colour around mouth and fingernails, sweating, fatigue.

At the clinic or hospital, your child will probably receive the following emergency treatment:

Oxygen.
More of the inhaled reliever therapy.
Inhaled anticholinergic therapy (a strong bronchodilator).
Corticosteroid tablets or an injection.

Remember

Know the early warning signs and symptoms.
Give a list of these symptoms to friends, family and teachers, together with an action plan and a written set of instructions on what to do in an emergency.
Have the telephone numbers of your doctor and the local hospitals handy in the event of an emergency.
Severe asthmatics are also advised to have oxygen at hand and to get to the emergency service at the local hospital as quickly as possible.

References

http://www.health24.com/Medical/Asthma/Overview/Who-gets-asthma-Prevalence-20130205

How to live better with TB

March 23rd, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by a bacterium called mycobacterium tuberculosis. It usually manifests and destroys parts of the lungs, making it difficult to breathe, but can also spread to and attack the bones, joints and nervous system.

TB bacteria can live in the body for years without any symptoms or spreading to others.

How TB is spread
TB travels through the air. When a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks, droplets of the TB bacteria are released into the air. People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.

Signs and symptoms of TB include

Persistent cough lasting longer than two weeks.
Night sweats.
Chest pain.
Weakness and fatigue.
Poor appetite.
Rapid weight loss.

Treatment
Successful treatment takes at least six months, and medication must be taken exactly as prescribed. Incomplete treatment or not following a consistent program may cause you to develop drug-resistant strains of TB, which could be extremely difficult to cure, and even fatal.

Patients are put on a course of treatment for six to eight months as soon as TB is diagnosed. You will then receive tablets, and in some cases, injections for the first two months of treatment.

The treatment is also known as DOTS (Daily Observed Treatment Short course). The tablets have to be taken under supervision to guarantee regular and effective therapy.

Patients usually respond well to treatment and can soon return to work and live relatively normally again.

Good to know

Stay on track with all your medical appointments.
Take your medicines as prescribed.
Report any side-effects of your medication. If you plan to move during the time that you’re being treated, let your doctor know so that arrangements can be made for you to continue the treatment.
Healthy eating and exercise will keep your immune system strong and help to prevent TB, and help you to recover faster.
During treatment, eat healthy foods and get enough sleep.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day to help your body fight off the infection.

Keep safe

Don’t spend long periods in stuffy, enclosed rooms with anyone who has active TB until that person has been treated for at least two weeks.
Use protective measures, like face masks, if you work in a facility that cares for people who have untreated TB.
If you live with someone who has active TB, help and encourage the person to follow treatment instructions.
Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough so as not to infect your family. Oranges, bananas and garlic are helpful in easing symptoms as they inhibit bacterial growth and boost your immune system.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/lung/tc/tuberculosis-tb-home-treatment

Pneumonia: the facts

March 5th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Seasons are-a-changing, which means the bugs will be rife again soon. Unless your immunity is strong, and you’re up-to-date with all your vaccines, you are at risk of developing serious infections like pneumonia – which is a lot more common than most people realise!

Continue reading “Pneumonia: the facts”

Home remedies for every type of cough

February 6th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Your chest is tight, your nose is stuffy and you have a terrible cough! Coughing is your body’s way of helping you clear your airways of mucus and any other irritants like dust. Although a cough is meant to help you, it feels very uncomfortable and can often be painful if it goes on for a long period.

You could try home remedies for relief before going to the doctor. Before you try them though, it’s important to understand what kind of cough you might have. Speak to one of our doctors to make sure it’s not serious.

Types of cough

Wet cough
Coughing up mucus or phlegm is characteristic of a wet cough. One of the common causes of a wet cough is bronchitis, a condition where your airways swell up and produce mucus.

Dry cough
If you’re coughing but there’s no mucus, then you have a dry cough. If a dry cough doesn’t seem to go away, it may be a sign of asthma, especially if you seem to cough mostly at night. Most people with asthma also have chest tightness, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Bloody cough
If you’re coughing up blood, call your doctor as soon as possible. The blood may be coming from your lungs or airways, and may be frothy because it’s mixed with air from your lungs. A bloody cough is a sign you might have a more serious medical problem.

Cough with cold symptoms
A cough may be a symptom of a cold, especially when accompanied by a stuffy nose, body aches, or a sore throat. Rest and over-the-counter medications may help you feel better. Talk to Hello Doctor if your symptoms aren’t manageable.

Get better at home with these handy remedies

Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice that could have a therapeutic effect on dry coughs. Heat half a cup of water in a boiling pot. Add one teaspoon turmeric powder, and one teaspoon black pepper. You may also add cinnamon sticks. Boil for about two to three minutes. Add one tablespoon of honey. Drink this daily until your cough subsides.

Ginger
Ginger is one of the most popular natural cures for a cough. Cut fresh ginger into small slices and crush them slightly. Place them in a cup of water and bring to a boil. Drink three to four times a day for relief from a sore throat, non-stop coughing and even congestion. You can also add some lemon juice and honey to your mix.

Hot milk with honey
Hot milk with honey is yummy, and can relieve a dry cough and reduce chest pain from continuous coughing. For best results, drink it before going to sleep. For added benefits from the analgesic properties of honey, swallow a teaspoon of plain honey on an empty stomach.

Garlic
Garlic is thought to have both antibacterial and antimicrobial components that help treat coughs. Boil two to three cloves of garlic in a cup of water and add a teaspoon of oregano. Allow to cool to room temperature, add some honey and drink. This will help your breathing and alleviate other cough symptoms.

Good to know
Talk to Hello Doctor if your cough lasts longer than three weeks after a viral infection and if you have the following symptoms:

Breathing difficulties.
Chest pain.
Coughing up blood.

References

South African student creates breakthrough sensor for asthma

January 7th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Take a slow, deep breath. Imagine holding a long straw; so thin that a toothpick wouldn’t fit through it. Imagine clenching this thin straw between your lips without any leaks. Now try to breathe through that small opening between your pursed lips, using no more, and no less than the tiny gap.

THIS is what asthma feels like, except an asthmatic can’t control it, and – more often than not – they can’t predict when the next attack will happen. Until now.

Continue reading “South African student creates breakthrough sensor for asthma”

The silent disease

October 27th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

A congested nose, a sore throat and body pains arising from a bad cold can be cured with medication and bed rest in a week or two. For pneumonia patients, recovery may not be as simple.

Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that can form in your lung tissue which is caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Although pneumonia is a serious disease that could cause death, it still doesn’t get as much coverage as other diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS. Pneumonia mainly affects those with a weak immune system, children under the age of five, or the elderly over the age of 65, as their immune systems are at its weakest. Pneumonia still poses a serious health threat, especially kids.

Continue reading “The silent disease”

Different types of coughs

August 27th, 2016 by The Hello Doctor Team

“Perhaps you should go and see a doctor about that cough!”…. if you’ve been coughing for a while, someone is bound to suggest that to you!

Continue reading “Different types of coughs”