(Disclaimer: This article is for scientific use only, and the relevant information in the following content has been processed to protect Ms. Zhou’s privacy)
Abstract: This article refers to a 37-year-old woman, Ms. Zhou, who presented with cough and sputum with no obvious cause six months ago and did not pay attention to it. Initially, she thought it was a cold and took many antibiotics on her own, but the effect was not good and her symptoms worsened, so she was worried that she had tuberculosis and came to our hospital. After taking a medical history and performing ancillary tests, he was diagnosed with cough variant asthma. After the diagnosis was clear, she was given medication, and her symptoms were controlled and she recovered well after treatment.
Basic information】Female, 37 years old
Type of disease】Variant asthma
Hospital】The Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University
Date of consultation】March 2019
Treatment plan】Medication (budesonide suspension for inhalation, montelukast sodium tablets, compound methocarbamol capsules)
Treatment period】Outpatient treatment and outpatient follow-up for 1 month
Effectiveness】Cough and coughing symptoms were significantly reduced and controlled.
I. Initial consultation
Ms. Zhou had a cough with no obvious cause and no fever for six months. She did not pay attention to her cough and sputum at the beginning, thinking that she had a cold, and took a variety of oral antibiotics, such as cefixime dispersible tablets, levofloxacin hydrochloride capsules and azithromycin dispersible tablets. Ms. Zhou was worried that she had tuberculosis, so she came to the hospital for consultation. She was told that she had allergic rhinitis in the past and had eczema as a child. On examination: no dry rales were heard in both lungs, and routine blood, allergen, serum IgE test and pulmonary function tests were completed. Routine blood tests: eosinophils were elevated; serum IgE was elevated; lung function was basically normal. Ms. Zhou was considered to have cough variant asthma, which is a special type of variant asthma and is often not accompanied by wheezing.
II. Treatment history
Ms. Zhou has been ill for six months, with poor symptom relief and an increasingly severe cough that affects her rest. According to the relevant examination, Ms. Zhou’s routine blood eosinophils were increased, and she was given inhalation budesonide suspension for treatment. She was also given oral montelukast sodium tablets and the cough medicine compound methocarbamol capsules for treatment. In addition to medication, Ms. Zhou was also educated about asthma, and was told that she needed long-term treatment for asthma, and that she needed to come to the hospital for follow-up blood tests, allergens, lung function and other indicators during the treatment process to actively control her allergic rhinitis.
III. Treatment effect
Ms. Zhou was very sensitive to the treatment and her coughing symptoms were reduced after 3 days of inhalation of budesonide suspension, and her coughing and sputum symptoms were significantly reduced after 1 week of inhalation, and she was satisfied with the treatment. Ms. Zhou was satisfied with the treatment. She asked whether she could stop the medication and was told that she had to inhale glucocorticoids for at least 3 months to avoid relapse. Ms. Zhou was informed of the timing of drug reduction and discontinuation afterwards, and that Ms. Zhou needed regular outpatient follow-up so that her symptoms could be better controlled.
IV. Precautions
I am glad to help Ms. Zhou as her symptoms have improved after the treatment. In the life afterwards, you should pay more attention to your own habits. Asthma is a lifelong disease, and if you don’t pay attention to it in general, it will lead to repeated attacks and eventually irreversible airway damage, and even serious complications such as type 2 respiratory failure and chronic pulmonary heart disease. In life, avoid allergic factors and minimize the number of attacks. Keep a good state of mind, be positive and optimistic to face the current condition, do not be anxious and irritable in order to make the disease better controlled. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits and avoid eating spicy and stimulating foods. Usually do more physical exercise, such as jogging, swimming, etc., to increase immunity. Long-term regular treatment, do not just stop the medication on your own, regular outpatient follow-up.
V. Personal insight
Although asthma cannot be cured, the symptoms of variant asthma can be cured clinically. As long as Ms. Zhou can avoid allergic factors in her life, such as pollen, dust mites, etc., eat less or not if she is allergic to seafood or protein foods, try not to keep pets and flowers at home, and not to lay carpets to avoid factors that aggravate chronic inflammation of the airways, on the basis of a more correct preventive treatment. The symptoms of asthma can even be controlled for life and will gain a completely normal school, work and life.