Man went to a doctor after developing a simple cough - but he ended up in A&E

11 December 2023 , 23:15

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Mike Inglis' lengthy cough turned out to be pneumonia (Image: Edinburgh Live)

A shop worker who couldn't get rid of a cough after six weeks was told by his GP to urgently get himself along to A&E for an X-ray.

Mike Inglis said that one night at work he was feeling extremely tired and had really sore ribs, so went to his doctor the next day and ended up having a two-night stay in hospital.

The medics at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh found he had scarring on his right lung and pneumonia. And now the retail supervisor, 48, from Prestonpans in East Lothian, is warning others to get checked up right away if they have a persistent cough.

Mike told EdinburghLive: "I'd say for God's sake get it checked. You may think it is just a cough but it could be something hiding or a whole load of other things. This cough has messed up my voice and I don't know what I will sound like, when it does, or if it at all will return."

He said he had been suffering from a really dry cough for about six weeks but didn't really think anything of it, because these illnesses happen all the time. He added: "Then, last week when I was working I just had zero energy and I knew something was wrong. I went along to my GP and he told me to go and get an X-ray.

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"I was then told I had scarring at the bottom of my lung and that it was pneumonia. I actually thought they were joking, I just couldn't believe it at first, and then they told me that if I had waited anymore they would have had to drain my lungs."

The unlucky man said he was very grateful to NHS staff for all their care, and said that he has now been placed on sick leave from his job, with that hiatus expected to last three weeks while he recovers. He added: "This NHS is an amazing, wonderful machine and they carried out an amazing job helping me."

But he warned that anyone with a cough can't be too careful and that if it stays around they should make a point of getting themselves checked out by a healthcare professional.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection, according to the NHS. Most people are able to recover in two to four weeks, but babies, the elderly, and those with heart or lung conditions are at risk of serious illness and may need hospital treatment.

Steven Brown