Respiratory disease history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

The symptoms of respiratory disease differ depending on the disease. Common symptoms are:

• Shortness of breath or dyspnea which usually occurs with exercise and can interfere with daily activities. In severe cases, shortness of breath can occur while resting.
• Cough with or without the production of sputum.
• Coughing blood (haemoptysis).
• Chest pain. This may or may not be pleuritic chest pain (that is pain that worsens with the movements of breathing).
• Noisy breathing, either wheeze or stridor.
• Somnolence.
• Loss of appetite.
• Weight loss.
• Cyanosis, a bluish discoloration of the lips, tongue or fingers.

In some cases respiratory disease is diagnosed without symptoms in the investigation of another disease or through a routine check.