Question: Hi, I am a 62 year old female, (4 days will be 63) who has had chronic chest infections, Halloween, (2015) then Thanksgiving, and right before Christmas. ( also 2015) With each infection I had fever and productive cough with thick green sputum. Cough never cleared since Christmas, ( no more then two weeks of feeling ok inbetween episodes )and sputum and cough were back. In March 2016, cough became worse and I had daily fever, chils, and night sweats. On April 1st went to Dr. who heard scattered rhonchi in lungs, was short of breath, fever etc also had a peak flow of 250. Treated with five days of antibiotics, given three different types of inhalers for shortness of breath and chest Xray next day. Chest Xray showed bliateral pneumonia, lower left lung and mid right lung. Small pleural effusion and hyperextended lungs. Diagnosis was bilateral pneumonia, Bacterial, and Obstructive pulmonary disease. On April 18th, repeat Xray showed better aereation, still streaky densities in both lobes of lungs and mid traction possible bronchiatitis. Pleural effusion has resolved. ( Still productive cough, very foamy clear, whitish with yellow streaks all day, but fever broken) Last repeat Xray taken May 23rd, showed this:" the lungs are chonically hyperinflated, The streaky densities in the bilateral lung fields has resolved. There is chronic fibronodular thickening of the bliateral apical pleura. Left greater then right. Heart size is normal, no vascular congestion.
NO acute cardiopulmonary disease seen. question; What is the hyperinflation... is it from the pneumonia or do I have some obstructive pulmonary disease? I smoked four packs a day for eight years quitting in 1979, hospitalized for a month with pneumonia then.. what does all this mean. I know the pneumonia is cleared, I feel better, but still tire easy and have this chronic cough with foamy sputum. Thank you. I am a five foot 8 inch , 153 lb female.

Hi, and thank you for the reply, I am taking the following medications for this pneumonia , breathing problems. The first one I was given Proair inhaler, (albutrol inhaler, .. 8.5 gms, 200 puffs, directions. two puffs by mouth in lungs every 4 hrs as needed for wheezing or shortness of breath. I was prescribed a "spacer" or mask to use with this so more of the med got into my lungs. On the follow up dr. visit after xray showed pneumonia, I was also given two other meds:Spiriva Respimat, another inhaler, 1.25 mcg. and Symbicort 160/4.5. I was told to use these as my first line inhalers and the proair for wheezing. I did notice that the inhalers make me cough more and makes it easier to cough up more of what is in my lungs. The antibiotic I took was for the first five days and for a bacterail pneumonia. My first bout of pneumonia that I had in 1979 kept me in the hosptial for a month and I alsmost died. This is when I was smoking and I was also in a coma for three days. Two years after this I got pneumonia again. My last chest Xray before this current bout of pneumonia, was for a preoperative foot operation ( fractured foot and fusion of big toe)showed normal lungs, but the lung scarring or paranchemal fibrosis, as a result of the serious pneumonia decades before.My lungs were NOT hyperinflated then..., this was in 2008. My two main questions are is the hyperinflation related to some sort of obstructive pulmonary disease that I have , as a result of long ago smoking as a contributoer and the pneumonias, inflamation.. and secondly, can you explain exactly what is meant by the radiologist saying; chronic fibronodular thickening of the bilateral apical pleura, left greater then right? Also why would my last xray say, "may have some traction bronchiastits in right middle lobe......Do radiologist all see something different. or on one xray it may look like one thing, and then the next xray something different.? The hyperinflated lungs has stayed the same though.. Sorry to sound so confusing. I do still get short of breath, esp if walking uphill or for any distance...Do I need any other treatment or at some point if symptoms change or get worse..? Thank you and these are my final questions. I appreciate your time and help.