Common Symptoms of Respiratory Diseases:
- Cough
- Breathlessness (Dyspnea)
- Chest Pain
- Hemoptysis (Coughing Blood)
- Pleural Effusion
- Respiratory Failure
- Clubbing
- Cyanosis
- Mnemonic: "C.B.C.H.P.R.C.C." = Cough, Breathlessness, Chest Pain, Hemoptysis, Pleural Effusion, Respiratory Failure, Clubbing, Cyanosis
1. COUGH
- Definition:
Cough is a protective reflex that clears the airways by expelling
mucus, irritants, or infections.
Types of Cough:
- Acute Cough (<3 Weeks) → Seen in infections (Common Cold, Pneumonia).
- Chronic Cough (>8 Weeks) → Seen in Asthma, TB, GERD.
- Dry Cough → Viral Infections, Allergies.
- Productive Cough → Pneumonia, Bronchitis.
- Barking Cough → Croup, Laryngitis.
- Mnemonic: "A.C.D.P.B. = Acute, Chronic, Dry, Productive, Barking"
2. BREATHLESSNESS (DYSPNEA)
- Definition:
A feeling of difficulty in breathing or increased
effort to breathe.
Causes:
- Lung Diseases → Asthma, COPD, Pneumonia, Fibrosis.
- Heart Diseases → Heart Failure, Pulmonary Edema.
- Anemia & Metabolic Causes → Low Hemoglobin, Acidosis.
Mnemonic: "L.H.A. = Lungs, Heart, Anemia"
Types of Dyspnea:
- Orthopnea → Breathlessness on lying down (Heart Failure).
- Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea (PND) → Sudden breathlessness at night (Heart Failure).
- Exertional Dyspnea → Seen in COPD, Asthma.
Mnemonic: "O.P.E. = Orthopnea, PND, Exertional Dyspnea"
3. CHEST PAIN
Definition:
Pain in the chest due to lung, heart, or musculoskeletal causes.
Types of Chest Pain:
- Pleuritic Pain → Sharp pain, worse with deep breathing (Pneumonia, PE).
- Cardiac Pain → Heavy, central pain (Heart Attack, Angina).
- Musculoskeletal Pain → Localized pain, worse with movement.
Mnemonic: "P.C.M. = Pleuritic, Cardiac, Musculoskeletal"
4. HEMOPTYSIS (COUGHING BLOOD)
Definition:
Coughing up blood from the lungs or airway.
Causes:
- Infections → TB, Pneumonia, Bronchiectasis.
- Lung Cancer → Malignancy in Lungs.
- Cardiac → Pulmonary Edema (Pink Frothy Sputum).
Mnemonic: "I.L.C. = Infection, Lung Cancer, Cardiac"
5. PLEURAL EFFUSION
Definition:
Collection of fluid in the pleural space, leading to difficulty
in breathing.
Causes:
- Transudate (Thin Fluid, Low Protein) → Heart Failure, Nephrotic Syndrome.
- Exudate (Thick Fluid, High Protein) → TB, Pneumonia, Cancer.
Mnemonic: "T.E. = Transudate (Thin), Exudate (Thick)"
Symptoms:
- Breathlessness → Due to lung compression.
- Stony Dull Percussion → Fluid-filled lung.
- Decreased Breath Sounds → Fluid blocks air entry.
- Mnemonic: "B.S.D. = Breathlessness, Stony Dull, Decreased Sounds"
6. RESPIRATORY FAILURE
Definition:
Failure of the lungs to maintain oxygen (O₂) & remove carbon
dioxide (CO₂) from the blood.
Types:
- Type 1 (Low O₂, Normal CO₂) → Seen in Pneumonia, ARDS.
- Type 2 (Low O₂, High CO₂) → Seen in COPD, Neuromuscular Disorders.
Mnemonic: "T1-P.A. (Type 1 = Pneumonia, ARDS), T2-C.N. (Type 2 = COPD, Neuromuscular)"
Symptoms:
- Cyanosis (Low O₂).
- Drowsiness (High CO₂).
- Mnemonic: "C.D. = Cyanosis, Drowsiness"
7. CLUBBING
Definition:
Enlargement of the fingertips with increased nail
curvature due to chronic hypoxia.
Causes (L.U.N.G.S.)
- L – Lung Cancer.
- U – Ulcerative Colitis.
- N – Non-Infectious Fibrosis (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis).
- G – Genetic (Cystic Fibrosis).
- S – Suppurative Diseases (Bronchiectasis, TB).
Mnemonic: "L.U.N.G.S. = Lung Cancer, Ulcerative Colitis, Non-Infectious Fibrosis, Genetic, Suppurative"
Signs of Clubbing:
- Loss of Lovibond’s Angle (>180°).
- Spongy Nail Bed.
- Increased Curvature of Nails.
- Mnemonic: "L.S.I. = Lovibond’s, Spongy, Increased Curvature"
8. CYANOSIS
Definition:
Bluish discoloration of skin & mucous membranes due to low
oxygen levels in the blood.
Types of Cyanosis:
- Central Cyanosis → Blue lips & tongue (Lung Disease, Heart Disease).
- Peripheral Cyanosis → Blue hands & feet (Cold Exposure, Shock).
Mnemonic: "C.P. = Central (Lungs/Heart), Peripheral (Cold/Shock)"
Causes of Cyanosis:
- Lung Diseases → COPD, Pulmonary Edema.
- Heart Diseases → Congenital Heart Disease.
- Hemoglobin Disorders → Methemoglobinemia.
- Mnemonic: "L.H.H. = Lungs, Heart, Hemoglobin"
HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT OF RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS
- For Acute Cough & Bronchitis:
- Antimonium Tart, Bryonia, Hepar Sulph, Spongia.
- For Asthma & Breathlessness:
- Blatta Orientalis, Ipecac, Arsenicum Album.
- For Hemoptysis & Lung TB:
- Phosphorus, Tuberculinum, Bacillinum.
Mnemonic: "A.B.H.S. = Antimonium, Bryonia, Hepar, Spongia for Cough"
FINAL REVISION WITH MNEMONICS
- Symptoms = "C.B.C.H.P.R.C.C."
- Cough Types = "A.C.D.P.B."
- Dyspnea Causes = "L.H.A."
- Dyspnea Types = "O.P.E."
- Chest Pain = "P.C.M."
- Hemoptysis = "I.L.C."
- Pleural Effusion = "T.E."
- Respiratory Failure = "T1-P.A., T2-C.N."
- Clubbing = "L.U.N.G.S."
- Cyanosis = "C.P."
- Homeopathy = "A.B.H.S."
