Respiratory Diseases

💡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,

💡TL;DR: Recurrent croup means more than two barky-cough episodes in a year or croup showing up outside the usual age window (about 6 months to 3 years). It can be a risk signal for asthma, but most children do not develop chronic asthma. Practical next steps: watch for wheeze

💡TL;DR: Chest pain that worsens with deep breaths often points to pleurisy, while pain you can reproduce by pressing the chest usually means costochondritis. Musculoskeletal chest wall pain is common in primary care (about 20–40%) and costochondritis is a frequent cause, while pleurisy signals inflammation of the lung

💡TL;DR: Most kids with croup can spread the virus from about 1 day before symptoms start until around day 3 of illness. A steroid such as dexamethasone eases breathing within hours, but it does not shorten how long your child is contagious. Plan for home rest for about 3–

💡 TL;DR: Popcorn lung (bronchiolitis obliterans) scars and narrows the lungs' smallest airways, causing a persistent dry cough and breathlessness that typically begin 2–8 weeks after a big exposure (vape chemicals, toxic fumes, certain illnesses). It is rare but serious and usually doesn’t respond well to quick‑

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: Most kids with croup sound worse after bedtime because small airways, lying flat, drier cool air, and low nighttime cortisol stack up. Nights 1–2 are usually the worst; most cases improve in 3–5 days. Calm cuddles, steamy bathroom air, a few minutes of cool air, and

💡TL;DR: Most people clear airborne mold spores without illness, but damp homes can trigger allergies or, in at-risk people, aspergillosis (a mold infection). Early signs look like allergies and often improve when you leave the damp space, while serious infection brings high fever, chest pain, weight loss, or blood

💡TL;DR: Acute bronchitis is usually contagious for about a week after symptoms start, per the Cleveland Clinic. You’re most contagious in the first few days. If a clinician confirms a bacterial cause and you start the right antibiotic, you’re generally low risk about 24 hours after the