Ughh, Chest Xray Abnormality - Any Advice is Appreciated

[wonderbread]

I had my medical examination done which showed apex shadowing of the lung.

I've never had TB; had an xray last year that came back fine; haven't traveled at all in 5 years; avoid sick people; had a handful of colds in 10 years; and have no cough or any other symptoms.

I'm still waiting for a response after I applied for my visa.

I was informed of the xray abnormality by the approved panel physician that gives you the medical tests for sending off to immigration.

Here's what I'm wondering:

I'm pretty certain I don't have TB, so it might be a lingering chest infection (with no symptoms I guess). So what I'm wondering is whether it's typically beneficial to see a family doctor and get medication like antiobiotics to get rid of it. Then, when immigration does get back to me and makes me take further tests, I won't have any type of infection at all.

My worry is immigration might give me a test, make me wait months, tell me its some sort of infection, and only then give me medication to get rid of it, which I will then have to take for weeks or months before I can then take another test to see that the medication worked.

On the other hand, if I see my doctor and get rid of whatever it might be before I take any test from immigration it will be negative.

However, I also wonder if being on some sort of medication before or during an immigration test might be bad; perhaps antiobiotics throw off their testing. Or maybe they only want me to take the medication they prescribe me.

I have basically no idea how to approach this and all I am trying to do is minimize delays as much as possible.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

I had my medical examination done which showed apex shadowing of the lung.

I've never had TB; had an xray last year that came back fine; haven't traveled at all in 5 years; avoid sick people; had a handful of colds in 10 years; and have no cough or any other symptoms.

I'm still waiting for a response after I applied for my visa.

I was informed of the xray abnormality by the approved panel physician that gives you the medical tests for sending off to immigration.

Here's what I'm wondering:

I'm pretty certain I don't have TB, so it might be a lingering chest infection (with no symptoms I guess). So what I'm wondering is whether it's typically beneficial to see a family doctor and get medication like antiobiotics to get rid of it. Then, when immigration does get back to me and makes me take further tests, I won't have any type of infection at all.

My worry is immigration might give me a test, make me wait months, tell me its some sort of infection, and only then give me medication to get rid of it, which I will then have to take for weeks or months before I can then take another test to see that the medication worked.

On the other hand, if I see my doctor and get rid of whatever it might be before I take any test from immigration it will be negative.

However, I also wonder if being on some sort of medication before or during an immigration test might be bad; perhaps antiobiotics throw off their testing. Or maybe they only want me to take the medication they prescribe me.

I have basically no idea how to approach this and all I am trying to do is minimize delays as much as possible.

You can expect further testing to rule out TB. There is nothing that you can do to speed that up, as you will be required to have another chest x-ray 3 months after the first so that they can compare, along with a sputum test.

 

[canuck78]

No responsible doctor should give an symptomatic person a bunch of antibiotics just in case they have a bacterial chest infection. TB test will likely have to be done.