Q: I was finding it hard to breath 2 months ago and the doctor had diagnosed it as TB and also found water in my chest and it was removed. I am under treatment and taking my medicines regularly. The question is, whenever I catch cold or due to allergy, I sneeze, my whole chest pains, at times the sneezing is so continuous, I cannot bear the pain? Can you please tell me the reason for the pain? Is it due to TB? Should I consult the doctor?

A:Tubercolosis often causes a pleural effusion, sometimes described as water in the chest. Although the fluid will diappear following its initial removal with a needle and syringe, or a chest tube, followed by appropriate drug therapy, some scarring remains. This is a form of chronic pleurisy, and although it is not dangerous, it can cause pain on deep breathing or with coughing or sneezing. Pain medicine usually helps, and sometimes a local aenesthetic injection in the chest wall is needed. However, the pain usually resolves spontaneously over the course of 6 months or so. In most cases, no further studies are needed if the patient is otherwise well apart from the episodes of pain.