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breathing exercises will help. as elementary as they are, i've found that it helps clear out your chest, even if you don't go back to playing right away. it seems that the faster air intake (compared to normal every day breathing) helps out with chest congestion, and even at times, i think sinus congestion. hope you get better soon!

Let me add something about getting sick. If you catch a communicable disease, such as a cold, flu, pneumonia, mononucleosis, or spinal meningitis, and you play your tuba during that time, you will need to disinfect that tuba as soon as you are well to prevent reinfection. I think that's why, in 1984, I caught double pneumonia twice! Realizing that I probably did reinfect the Army tuba I was playing at that time (I was a soldier-musician), I gave every tuba I played during that time a thorough cleaning with Dawn detergent and I got some store brand amber mouthwash to go down the mouthpipe. I don't think that really did anything to kill any bacteria or anything else that would make me sick again but it didn't smell too bad.

Anyway, this is worth noting!

Fireband12 wrote:I had developed pleurisy or pleuritis, which is an inflamation of the lining of the lung.
Matt B.
Band Director
&
Firefighter/EMT-B

Hi Matt,
I have to make one correction to your description of pleurisy or pleuritis:
It is not exactly an inlfamation of the lining of the lung.

As you know(EMT-B) from studying pneumothorax (sucking chest wounds) which usually lead to the collapse of a lung, the pleura is that potential space between the exterior membrane of the lung and the chest wall. It contains a very small quantity of lubricating fluid which keeps the exterior of the lung riding smoothly within the chest wall with respiration. When a hole is made in the chest wall it may cause the pleura to fill with air and deflate the lung which occupies that side of the chest.
Enough EMT details.
Pluerisy is the inflamation of pleura, the exterior membrane of the lung and interior membrane of the chest wall.
It hurts but fortunately doesn't suck

Sam Gnagey
RN, EMT-A(retired)