Respiratory Diseases

💡TL;DR: RSV can cause a skin rash, but it is uncommon and usually mild. Most rashes appear around days 3–5 of illness and fade within 3–7 days. The bigger risk with RSV is breathing problems, not the rash. Seek care fast for trouble breathing, blue lips/skin,

💡TL;DR: Most upper respiratory infections (URIs) are contagious because they are caused by viruses that spread easily through droplets and on your hands. You are usually most contagious in the first 2–3 days of symptoms and can spread infection for about 3–10 days overall. Stay home while

💡TL;DR: Most babies, children, and adults with RSV get better with supportive care alone and never need an antiviral drug. Ribavirin is an older antiviral that is reserved for rare, very high-risk cases, such as some hospitalized infants and severely immunocompromised adults. Because it is expensive, difficult to administer,

💡TL;DR: Most people with RSV are contagious for about 3 to 8 days after symptoms start, and you can begin spreading the virus 1 to 2 days before you feel sick. Babies, toddlers, older adults, and people with weak immune systems can shed RSV much longer, sometimes for 3

Is There a Test for RSV? 💡TL;DR: Doctors can test for RSV with a quick nose swab that looks for the virus in your mucus. Testing is usually reserved for infants, older adults, and people with high-risk conditions or severe breathing problems, not for every mild cold. Rapid tests

💡TL;DR: COVID-19 can trigger new or worse asthma in a small minority of people, but most people recover without long-term breathing problems. Studies suggest adults who have had COVID-19 are roughly twice as likely to be diagnosed with asthma in the following months as those who were never infected,

💡TL;DR: Croup and whooping cough are different illnesses: croup is a short-lived viral infection of the upper airway that causes a barky, seal-like cough, while whooping cough (pertussis) is a long-lasting bacterial infection that causes violent coughing fits with a gasping "whoop". Croup usually affects children 6

💡TL;DR: Pleurisy is inflammation of the lining around your lungs that causes sharp chest pain that worsens when you breathe in. Most cases improve in about 7–14 days once the cause is treated (for example, antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia and NSAIDs for pain). Doctors confirm by exam and

💡TL;DR: **Treat the cause and calm the pain.** Doctors use NSAIDs for pain and inflammation, plus antibiotics for bacterial causes, blood thinners for clots, or steroids for autoimmune disease. At home, rest, careful positioning, deep-breathing, and warm, moist air (steam or a nebulizer with saline) can ease discomfort. **Most