asthma

[mollymop]

good morning! im just recovering from a very bad cold but i still have a persistant cough that just wont shift.. i have asthma and im getting a constant aching pain under the left of my ribcage, could that be the build up of mucus? i live in a house that is black with damp, will that be making it worse? its a private house and the landlord knows that i have asthma and said that he would do something about it but 19 months later im still waiting. is there any advice you can give me to get the landlord to actually do something about it please.. thank you.

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

Having asthma and having a cold on top of the asthma could well be the reason for your persistent cough, especially if you are not on optimum asthma therapy.  Likewise the “constant aching pain under the left” of your ribcage could also be secondary to hard coughing..  On the other hand, both the cough and the pain could be signs of some other disease superimposed on asthma, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.  For that reason I suggest, especially if you have any fever, that you see your primary care doctor and get an X-ray.  Any of the preceding could be responsible for the build-up of mucous.  

There are reports of asthma worsening in response to black mold.  In addition there may be other substances, for example animal dander, in your apartment that could aggravate the asthma.  If the landlord has not done anything about the mold during the past 19 months, he is unlikely to do it now, with further pleas, by you or anyone else.  You could scrub away the most prominent areas of mold, yourself but it would probably be easier and wiser for you to find another place to live.

Right now your first priority should be to seek medical care.

Good luck

[mollymop]

thank you for your reply. ive been to see 3 drs about this pain, it was bronchitis and pleuricy. i went back to work on monday but only lasted two hours and the pain was horrific so had to leave. i went straight to a callin centre in which the dr there said that he thinks that its something else. he has recommended an xray which my own dr will have on the computer. im at my own drs today at 4.10 so hopefully something might be done for me. ive had a week of antibiotics...