Wheezing for Months

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have troubles mostly at night with wheezing. And I feel congested on my left side of my chest. I feel relief when I cough for a few moments, but it quickly returns. I have had this problem off and on since Nov 10th, 2009. I've been to the Dr. 2x, I got antibiotics and a inhailer and nothing appeared on the x-rays of my lungs. About 3wks ago I went back and was given steriod pills, 2 a day for 5 days. Now, I still have the coughing and wheezing mostly at night.

Dear Jeff: Wheezing is often a symptom of asthma, allergies or both.

A chest x ray can reveal an infection, a fracture, calcification and congestive heart failure.  It can not diagnose asthma or allergies.

The next appropriate step would be to consider a pulmonary function test with or without allergy testing.  Alternatively your doctor may decide to treat you empirically before testing as a form of "trial and error".