You learn something new every day!

GraceB

I picked up the office cold bug and couldn't persuade it to leave so two weeks on I decided enough was enough and managed to see a GP this morning.

After some questioning by the GP and him listening to my chest, and a very dramatic demonstration of my coughing and wheezing on my part, he pronounced that I had had a chest infection but I'd managed to fight it off. What he then said, however, was a complete surprise to me.

Because I've been coughing for so long, the linings of my lungs have become irritated and slightly damaged.

Now, I've heard of irritable bowel but never irritated lungs.

I have some really awful codeine based cough mixture to take and if the cough and breathlessness haven't resolved by 2nd November I'm to get back to see a GP after which further tests will be done. The GP today was, however, confident that this should resolve.

So, my lungs have got cross (sorry, couldn't resist the pun!).

Remember folks, you heard the phrase "irritated lungs" here first ...

GraceB

daffy2

I suppose it's a bit like when something has irritated your skin and the scratching has caused damage. The cause of the irritation has gone but there's still stuff to heal.
It's good news that you've shed the infection but not so good that in doing so you've still in effect got the symptoms. Here's hoping they clear up soon.

bubbadog

I feel your irritated lungs! My chest infection has made the inside of my mouth to swell up from the coughing! I'll just be glad when it's gone! I'm pleading with it to stop squatting in my chest and lungs and go and find somewhere else to go and squat because I've had enough!! It really is pants isn't it Grace. So I feel your pain!

barbara12

Grace the cough must have been awful to cause this, I hope you pick up very soon..maybe a tonic is needed..sounding like my late mother now ..you take care..

GraceB

Thanks for your replies. I was coughing so much this morning when I got into work I sounded like a dog barking by the time I was finished. And knackered! My colleagues certainly knew I was in the building.

I've been breathless all day, and the only way I can describe it is that it's like you want to take a very deep breath but you can't, instead it seems as if I'm only using part of my lungs to breathe. The revolting cough mixture hasn't worked its magic as yet but I live in hope!

I have to say, however, that if this breathlessness gets any worse I'll be back to the GP this week and will be asking for an inhaler of some sort. I'm not asthmatic and never have been but I can now empathise more with those afflicted by that and any other lung issue, and mine is only temporary.

Time for some more of that vile mixture. Ugh!

GraceB

Boomer13

Good grief that sounds awful! Please take care of yourself. I tore a muscle in my chest once from an extended bout of coughing.

Hope you feel better soon.

GraceB

Thank you. Years and years ago I had a bad chest infection and managed to crack a rib through coughing! As I was on post op from a knee op, partially weight bearing on crutches I didn't know what hurt most!

GraceB