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Sore Throat, Swollen Trachea, Pain On Breathing, Have Dry Cough, Burning In Throat, Diagnosed To Be Tracheitis. Right?
I went to an Express Care facility with a sore throat and swollen trachea that is painful to the touch and also when I breathe swallow or talk too much. I also have a dry cough and burning sensation in my throat. The doctor felt my neck and looked at my throat and told me that I have tracheatis. He gave me an antibiotic and sent me on my way. Can that infection be diagnosed that quickly? How do I know if that s what it is??
Thu, 29 Aug 2013
hello and welcome to HCM,
You need to understand that in a background of pain and a swelling which is acute any doctor will initially make a diagnosis of infection and depending on the region classify or state the infection.
In this case since the swelling was in the trachea he would have assumed that it is tracheatis. He may be right in all probability.
You must also realize that unless you take a culture from that area and/ or visualize the infected area you cannot be hundred percent sure that the diagnosis of infection is correct.
In most of the cases if there are no complication and since you do not have any breathing difficulty and you are otherwise normal, the doctor would actually try a course of routine antibiotics and assume that it will work which in majority of the cases it does.
However if after four to five days you feel your symptoms are becoming worse then you need to revisit the doctor again so that a more directed treatment can be instituted. If you are feeling better then alls well that ends well!!
You must realize that we do this so that unnecessary investigations are avoided and you can save a few bucks.
hope this is clear to you
regards
Dr Sriram Nathan
You need to understand that in a background of pain and a swelling which is acute any doctor will initially make a diagnosis of infection and depending on the region classify or state the infection.
In this case since the swelling was in the trachea he would have assumed that it is tracheatis. He may be right in all probability.
You must also realize that unless you take a culture from that area and/ or visualize the infected area you cannot be hundred percent sure that the diagnosis of infection is correct.
In most of the cases if there are no complication and since you do not have any breathing difficulty and you are otherwise normal, the doctor would actually try a course of routine antibiotics and assume that it will work which in majority of the cases it does.
However if after four to five days you feel your symptoms are becoming worse then you need to revisit the doctor again so that a more directed treatment can be instituted. If you are feeling better then alls well that ends well!!
You must realize that we do this so that unnecessary investigations are avoided and you can save a few bucks.
hope this is clear to you
regards
Dr Sriram Nathan
I find this answer helpful
the history suggest the inflamation of the respiratory ract
s you have dry cough and soar throat it means there is continue irritation of the respiratory tract leading to diagnosis
you should add antiallergic cough syp and montelucast bd
and as this is respiratory tract irritation you can take short tapering course of steroids
s you have dry cough and soar throat it means there is continue irritation of the respiratory tract leading to diagnosis
you should add antiallergic cough syp and montelucast bd
and as this is respiratory tract irritation you can take short tapering course of steroids
I find this answer helpful
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