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From a cold to bronshitis/pneumonia...always

My colds constantly evolve into a more serious condition.Within 5 days of the first signs of a cold,the cough has stopped and I feel it settling into my lungs.The bout I'm getting over now woke me up in the early a.m. with a stitch under my R ribcage that made me sleep in a semi-upright position.My family doc prescribes the usual round of antibiotics(by the time I can get in, I've developed a bacterial infection) and expectorant.I've asked him several times what can I do to prevent the cold from turning into a respiratory issue and I get "some people are just more prone to it than others".I have an appointment later this month with a Pulmonologist.I contracted pneumonia when I was 27.I am 38,and I used to be a serious runner but now I walk the mileage.I may have one or two drinks every blue moon and I've never smoked.I'm not exposed to second hand smoke.As a firefighter the times I am exposed to smoke,I dont wind up heading down this road.Could it be allergies?Thanks
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251132 tn?1198078822
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
It is definitely unusual to have an infection settle in your lungs every time you have a cold, although it is possible.  This could be because a portion of your lung is poorly resistant to infection.  To help figure out what can be done to prevent every cold from turning into a respiratory issue, you will most likely need to have a chest x-ray.  You may also need to have a CT scan and possibly a bronchoscopy.  This is a procedure where a tube called a bronchoscope is passed through your nose into your windpipe to look into your lungs.  The pulmonologist is the type of specialist to give you a more detailed answer to your question than your family doctor has given you.
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Avatar universal
Thanks NJC.I hope I can nab this problem. I called my doctor's office the other day to obtain information required by the pulmonologist and it seems in the last 8 years I've dragged myself in 11 times for this. Don't you think he should have said something about contacting a specialist?
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