Comparisons

💡TL;DR: Most sore throats are viral and get better in a few days; only about 5–15% of adults and 20–30% of children have strep (CDC). Strep usually starts suddenly with severe throat pain and fever and no cough, while viral sore throats build more slowly with cough

💡TL;DR: Croup = a barky upper‑airway cough that peaks over 1–2 nights, RSV = a wet cough with wheeze that runs about 1–2 weeks, and whooping cough = long coughing fits with a whoop that can last for weeks. Nearly all children encounter RSV by age 2 (CDC), while

💡TL;DR: Rhonchi are low, snoring-like sounds from mucus in the larger airways and often clear after a cough. Crackles (rales) are brief popping sounds from fluid or stiff air sacs and usually do not clear; wheezes are high, musical whistles from narrowed small airways. Use lung sounds as clues,

💡TL;DR: RSV and whooping cough are different illnesses: RSV is a virus, while whooping cough (pertussis) is a bacterium. Antibiotics treat pertussis (especially early) but not RSV; RSV care is mainly supportive at home or in the hospital if breathing is hard. Protection also differs: DTaP/Tdap prevents pertussis,

What Is Croup? Croup is a viral swelling of the upper airway around the voice box and windpipe. The narrowed airway causes a barking, seal-like cough. Kids can also make a harsh, high-pitched noise on the inhale called stridor. Croup usually starts like a cold, then gets louder at night.

💡TL;DR: MDIs spray a measured mist you inhale slowly; DPIs release a dry powder you inhale fast and deep. If timing the press and breath is hard, a DPI can be easier; if you can’t inhale quickly (young children or during a bad flare), an MDI with a

💡TL;DR: RSV and the common cold start the same, but RSV is more likely to move into the chest and cause wheezing or hard breathing, especially in babies and older adults. A simple cold usually stays milder in the nose and throat and improves in 5–7 days; RSV

💡TL;DR: Asthma is a chronic condition you manage every day; an acute asthma attack is a sudden flare that needs quick relief. Daily controller medicines and trigger avoidance keep inflammation low, while attacks require rapid bronchodilators and sometimes emergency care. Know your numbers: Green > 80% of personal-best peak

💡TL;DR: To tell panic attack vs asthma fast, look for wheeze or cough and whether rescue medicine helps. Relief with a rescue inhaler or nebulized bronchodilator points to asthma, while a racing heart, tingling, and relief with slow exhale breathing point to panic. About 25 million people in the