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I just had a chest x-ray. I have had pains in my left lung.

Sent to Health Experts October 08 09:48 AM

I just had a chest x-ray. I have had pains in my left lung. Hurts when I sneeze or cough. Also pains when I sit up. I had the pain for quit a while but thought it was sports related. I had a glimpse of the chest x-ray and about 50% diagonally across the left lung was a lighter colour. The tech asked me if I smoke or have azhma which I have neither. I won't me able to see my doctor for a few days but this is really bothering me thinking about it. My blood pressure is elevated but my doctor did't think it was rerlated but nowknowing the reduced capacity of the left lung I wonder. I have also been belging lots.

 

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October 8 9:51 AM (3 minutes and 58 seconds later)
         

What chest symptoms have you had?

Cough, mucus, shortness of breath?

Can you sleep lying down flat or do you struggle for breath?

Do you have any ankle swelling?

How is the rest of your health?

This appearance of the chest x ray...was the light color solid or 'fluffy'?

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Pauline -- Pharmacist -- 99% Positive Feedback on 3505 Health Accepts
MRPharmS. Worked as Community pharmacist for 15 years. Undertaking a second degree in medicine.
Reply
October 8 10:11 AM (19 minutes and 42 seconds later)
         
Constant pain in dull pain about two ribs up from bottom on left side.
Some occasional coughing but nothing abnormal, consistant or constant. Maybe greenish mucus but if any a small amount.

I have burcitus in my right shoulder and plan to have an operationfor that in the near future. Therefore I have not been sleeping on my right side due to shoulder discomfort. Usually sleep on back or left side. Sometimes sleep flat on back.

Haven't neither notice any shortness of breath. Never really thought about until I saw the xray. My blood pressure was up when I visited the doc last week. This may be due to the reduced lung capacity!

I don't believe my ankles and abnormally swollen.

I have been under a fair bit of stress. We just had a child and my sleep patterns have been somewhat irregular. Also my wife had pre-eclampsia with HELLP syndrome and our baby was 3 months premmie so I have been rather flat out for the past 4 months. Things seem to be getting somewhat normal now.

I didn't get a close look at the x-ray. All I can say is that there was a distinct diagonal boundary on the left lung where the top section looked like the right lung and the bottom section was lighter in colour. It could have been "fuffy" but difficult to say. There was also a black oval shape below the left lung which I assumed to be an organ. Maybe the size of a couple of baseballs.

My health has been generally okay. I don't smoke or drink. I am 6'3" and weigh about 108kg. I am active in that I garden and maintain a small country property for our home. I was playing softball up until our baby was born. I use to play squash socially a few years ago but quit because of the shoulder problem.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
October 8 10:27 AM (15 minutes and 38 seconds later)
         
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When you are not used to looking at x rays then it is difficult to be sure of what you are seeing. There are some structures that we expect to see on left hand side (heart for example) and we expect to see the diaphragm at the bottom..

If your lung capacity on the left was reduced then this is determined by lung volume tests unless there is clear evidence of a collapsed lung. Your history could indicate a chest infection or pleural infection but without seeing it is difficult to be precise.

Have a look at this set of slides: here. Do not get too involved in each slide, I just enclose this so you can see what a variation in appearance in x rays that you can see and you do need to wait until your doctor has had a look before you get too worried.



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Pauline -- Pharmacist -- 99% Positive Feedback on 3505 Health Accepts
MRPharmS. Worked as Community pharmacist for 15 years. Undertaking a second degree in medicine.
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