Question: Hello -- I am a 50 year old female in good health, and was diagnosed with Influenza A (following a nasal swab test) back on December 24, 2017. I continued to have the regular flu symptoms, and was coughing and had tightness in my chest for two weeks, so I went to an Urgent Care Center on January 8, 2018. The doctor listened to my lungs and said they were clear, but ordered a two view chest x-ray to be sure. He then told me that the x-ray was negative, but I could still have acute bronchitis or early pneumonia, so he prescribed a course of azithromycin, which has helped. The coughing and tightness has subsided.

I just saw an actual report of the x-ray today, and it said "bronchial thickening without infiltration". I suffer from some health anxiety, so the "bronchial thickening" part worried me. Is that anything to worry about? And could it simply be caused by the flu virus and possible acute bronchitis? I did have a lung CT back in 2005, which showed some mild bronchiectasis in my right lung. Otherwise, I am healthy, have never smoked, have no diagnosed respiratory issues, no shortness of breath, and walk three miles a day.

Thank you so much for your help!