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How is pneumonia confirmed as a diagnosis?
Last week, I went to the doctor with a severe cough. The doctor said it was probably due to allergies and sent me away with really nothing. Fast-forward to today, and I swear I feel like this cough has made it into my lungs. Like, I have this heaviness in my chest. How can a doctor confirm that I have pneumonia?
2 Answers
A pneumonia diagnosis is often suggested by patient symptoms, usually a productive cough,fever and chills. Examination of the chest with a stethoscope can lead to the diagnosis when certain abnormal sounds are localized to a specific area of the chest. Lastly a Chest X-ray may have an area that shows an infiltrate (due to a substance denser than air) when compared to the rest of the lung.
Pneumonia can be suspected by a physical examination by the doctor and confirmed by chest Xray.