A disease called 'Rails"???

Factual Questions
1

HI,
My daughter called me yesterday. She has been having breathing problems and was sent by her primary care physician to a cardiologist. They did a stress test, found no problems with her heart and suggested that she go to a pulmonary specialist as they feel her problem is “Rails” (I don’t know the spelling, but that is how it sounded).
Has any one heard of this ‘disease’? They told her that it can come about after having bronchitis, and that is is different than asthma.
Asthma runs in our family, I have it and so does my daughter’s daughter.
My daughter is a runner, she runs approximately 3 miles a day (in about 23 mins). She had a few problems in high school, but her problems recently began when she changed offices at work. Seems there is a ‘mold’ problem in the new building, and I believe that that is what is causing her problems.

Has anyone heard of anything called “Rails?” or something like that, that is a pulmonary problem? I went to Web MD, but couldn’t find anything, (perhaps because I don’t know how it is spelled). My daughter (who is 28 yrs old) didn’t think to ask any questions about it, and her health insurance isn’t the best so all these trips are costing her big time. She got the impression that it isn’t serious, and is considering not pursuing it, though her breathing problems are not going away.

I would appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks for listening.
Lea Rae

2

Rales: http://www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/R/rales.html

It’s not a disease, it’s a symptom. Doctor’s either stupid or dishonest.

3

I would hesitate assigning either quality to the doctor based on the OP.

It’s most likely that learae’s daugher mistook the doctor’s referral for a symptom as a diagnosis.

That sort of layperson’s error happens far too often.

4

Along the lines of what Nametag was saying, rales are a lung sound.

From the NIH

In EMS, we most frequently hear them from pulmonary edema (CHF, etc.)

Also,

I’d be concerned if one of my patients had new onset rales and any sort of respiratory problems, so it could be a big deal.

St. Urho
EMT-P

5

Thanks for your help.

No one has mentioned if this problem could be related to the mold in the office that she is working in. :confused:

I have it in my head that it is a major cause, but if that isn’t possible than we need to look into what else could be causing the problem.

I knew I had never heard of a disease called ‘Rales’, but I’m sure there are many things out there that the general public has no knowledge of.

Thanks again.
Lea Rae :slight_smile:

6

The mold can trigger an allergic reaction that manifests as asthma. Rales and wheezes are similar. It doesn’t necessarily mean she “has asthma.”
If it goes away when she’s out of the contaminated environment, she reacted to the irritant.
The chances of a person with a healthy immune system being infected with mold in the lungs, (mycotic pneumonitis) is very unlikely.

The doctor may be guilty more of med-speak than incompetence. If he had said “wheezing,” she would have heard the word before, at least.

If the exposure is work related, she should make an L&I claim.