Diagnosis of bronchiolitis is based on the condition’s history as well as physical examination results. Both symptoms and severity of the disease may vary from patient to patient. The disease’s severity may range from mild infection of the upper respiratory tract to imminent respiratory system failure. Typically, a patient with bronchiolitis will present with an initial wheezing incident before attaining the age of one year, an early symptom of fever for two or three days, coughing, and rhinorrhea that progresses to tachypnea. Also, the patient would present with wheezing, crackles, and respiratory distress. Respiratory distress is identified by abdominal breathing, grunting, and other signs such as nasal flaring. The patient may or may not have a history of being exposed to a person with viral upper respiratory tract infection. Besides, the patient’s oxygen levels are low and may appear dehydrated if respiratory distress has affected feeding.
Bronchiectasis is considered a chronic lung problem that involves damaging of the bronchial wall. The damage causes unusual airway dilation, faulty mucus clearing, and mucus assembly in the parts affected by the condition. In most cases, the initial destruction of airways that cause bronchiectasis starts during childhood. However, the condition’s signs and symptoms may manifest months or several years after the patient starts having frequent lung infections. A patient with bronchiectasis presents with a chronic cough that occurs every day for several months or a couple of years, wheezing, coughing up blood, experiencing shortness of breath, pain in the chest area, production of lots of thick mucus daily, and loss of weight. The spit produced by the patient might contain mucus, suspended particles, and pus. Also, clubbing signs can be evident in the patient where the skin below fingernails and toenails thickens. The patient may also be experiencing recurring respiratory infections and malaise.
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