Respiratory Clinic Online

Specialist assessment of cough, breathlessness, asthma, COPD and other problems of the lungs and airways — from first investigation through to a treatment plan and follow-up.

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Appointments in Swedish, English and Arabic
Evidence-based care
Written plan after every visit

About the clinic

Respiratory medicine covers everything from an ordinary cough to chronic conditions such as asthma, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. What characterises the specialty is that breathing problems can be both entirely benign and rapidly life-threatening — and that patients themselves can rarely tell which is which. An experienced respiratory physician therefore puts great weight on making the boundary clear: what can be investigated at a calm pace, and what must never wait.

We are particularly explicit about the difference between follow-up of already treated conditions and new, acute respiratory symptoms — that boundary should never be unclear to you as a patient.

Who we help

Adults who are breathless in everyday life or on exertion
Children and adults with wheezing
You with suspected or known asthma
You with a long-standing cough
You with repeated airway infections
Adults with suspected or diagnosed COPD
You who want to understand an abnormal X-ray or CT result
You with a lot of phlegm or recurrent bronchitis
Smokers or former smokers with breathing problems
You with a cough following a viral infection
You with a night-time cough or tightness in the chest
You who would like a second opinion

Symptoms

Conditions

Asthma
COPD
Acute bronchitis
Pneumonia — follow-up
Bronchiectasis
Allergic airway problems
Pleuritic pain
Pulmonary embolism — follow-up
Interstitial lung disease / pulmonary fibrosis — second opinion
Smoking-related cough

Services and examinations

A structured review of symptoms and medical history
Interpretation of previous tests, spirometry, chest X-rays and CT reports
Follow-up for asthma, COPD and long-standing airway problems
A treatment review, including inhaler technique at a general level
Second opinion where the diagnosis is unclear or symptoms are drawn out
Preventive advice, for example on stopping smoking and controlling triggers

How it works

1Book and describe your main problem online.
2Upload previous results if you have them — test results, examinations, medication list.
3Video consultation — review of your history and targeted questions.
4A clear plan — next steps, any treatment, and a timeframe for follow-up.

What to prepare

A timeline of your symptoms (when it started, what triggers or relieves it)
Current medications and doses
Known allergies and previous illnesses
Previous test results and examinations, with dates if possible
Your three most important questions for the visit

Call your local emergency number immediately or go to the nearest emergency department if you have:

Sudden or severe breathlessness
Bluish lips or severely laboured breathing
Pressing or cramping chest pain that doesn't ease within 15 minutes, or chest pain radiating to the arm, neck, jaw or back — particularly with breathlessness
Coughing up large amounts of blood
High fever with rapid breathing and impaired general condition. If sudden confusion, violent shivering, skin that has turned mottled, pale or bluish, or not having passed urine for a day comes with it — that can be pneumonia that has progressed to sepsis. Call your local emergency number. Fever does not have to be present for this to be sepsis.
Sudden-onset breathlessness with chest pain and a fast pulse (this can indicate a blood clot in the lung)

Digital care cannot replace emergency services. If unsure, seek care immediately.

Our doctors

See available doctors and book an appointment

Frequently asked questions

When should I book an appointment at the respiratory clinic?

For a long-standing cough, breathlessness, wheezing, recurrent airway infections, or questions about asthma, COPD or an abnormal X-ray result.

Do I need to have had tests before the appointment?

No, but if you already have spirometry, blood tests or imaging, it is helpful to upload them.

Can digital care help with every lung condition?

No. Digital care works well for assessment, advice and follow-up, but it cannot replace emergency care or a physical examination when one is needed.

Can you interpret a chest X-ray or CT done elsewhere?

Yes — we go through the report at a general level and put it in context with your symptoms.

Can you follow up asthma or COPD?

Yes.

What happens after my appointment?

A clear plan with the next steps, and information about warning signs.

What do I do about sudden severe breathlessness or chest pain?

Seek emergency care immediately — see the safety box.

How long is it normal to cough after a cold?

Up to eight weeks is common and usually harmless. Longer than that should be assessed.

Can I have asthma without wheezing when I breathe?

Yes. A long-standing cough, particularly at night or on exertion, can be the only symptom.

Do I need to have had spirometry before the appointment?

No, but if you have had one, the report is valuable to upload.

Fifteen common conditions

Asthma

Typical age: All ages; it often begins in childhood but can appear later in life.
Background: Chronic inflammation of the airways that leaves them sensitive and narrowed.
Symptoms: Wheezing, cough, breathlessness, tightness in the chest — often triggered by exertion, allergens or infection.
What the doctor looks for: The symptom pattern and the triggering factors.
Investigations: A symptom diary, and a review of previous spirometry where there is any.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture, often confirmed with lung function testing through in-person care.
Management: Inhaled treatment according to a plan, and avoidance of known triggers.
Follow-up: Regular, with checks of symptom control and inhaler technique.
Prognosis: Good symptom control is achievable for the great majority with the right treatment.
What you can do yourself: Check your inhaler technique — incorrect technique is the most common reason for poor control.
When should you book?: If your need for reliever medication increases, or if you have symptoms at night.

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

Typical age: More common after 40, and strongly linked to smoking.
Background: Chronic, slowly progressive airflow obstruction.
Symptoms: Breathlessness on exertion, a chronic cough, increased phlegm production.
What the doctor looks for: Smoking history and how symptoms have developed over time.
Investigations: A review of previous spirometry; a new measurement is often needed through in-person care for a secure diagnosis.
Diagnosis: Requires lung function measurement.
Management: Stopping smoking is the single most important measure, alongside inhaled treatment according to a plan.
Follow-up: Regular, including assessment of periods of deterioration.
Prognosis: Can be slowed considerably by stopping smoking and with the right treatment, but it is chronic.
What you can do yourself: Stopping smoking is the single most important measure, and it slows the course measurably.
When should you book?: If breathlessness is increasing, or for an annual review.

Acute bronchitis

Typical age: All ages.
Background: Inflammation of the large airways, usually caused by a virus.
Symptoms: Cough, often with phlegm, sometimes a mild fever.
What the doctor looks for: General condition and breath sounds.
Investigations: Rarely needed.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture.
Management: Symptom relief, rest and fluids.
Follow-up: If there is no improvement after about three weeks.
Prognosis: Very good; it usually resolves on its own.
What you can do yourself: Rest and fluids; antibiotics do not help when the cause is viral.
When should you book?: For a cough lasting more than three weeks, or if your breathing is affected.

Pneumonia — follow-up

Typical age: All ages; more serious in older people.
Background: Infection of the lung tissue, usually bacterial or viral.
Symptoms at follow-up: Persistent fatigue or cough after completing treatment.
What the doctor looks for: How recovery is progressing.
Investigations: A review of previous treatment and any follow-up X-ray.
Diagnosis: Already made; this concerns follow-up after a treated infection.
Management: According to how recovery is progressing.
Follow-up: According to plan, sometimes with a follow-up X-ray.
Prognosis: Good recovery for most people, though it can take several weeks.
What you can do yourself: Expect several weeks of fatigue after pneumonia — that is normal.
When should you book?: If problems persist beyond six weeks.

A new, untreated, suspected pneumonia with a high fever and affected breathing should be assessed in person, not digitally.

Bronchiectasis

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: Permanent widening of the airways, often after repeated infections.
Symptoms: A chronic cough with copious phlegm, and recurrent infections.
What the doctor looks for: The pattern of infections and the amount of phlegm.
Investigations: A review of previous imaging (CT).
Diagnosis: Requires imaging for confirmation.
Management: According to the specialist plan, often including breathing exercises.
Follow-up: Regular.
Prognosis: A chronic condition, manageable with the right treatment.
What you can do yourself: Daily breathing exercises and airway clearance reduce the number of flare-ups.
When should you book?: If the amount of phlegm increases, or if its colour changes.

Allergic airway problems

Typical age: All ages.
Background: An allergic reaction in the airways, often linked to pollen, furry animals or dust.
Symptoms: Wheezing, cough and a blocked nose on exposure.
What the doctor looks for: A seasonal pattern, or a link to a specific exposure.
Investigations: The clinical picture, sometimes allergy testing through a specialist.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture, with or without testing.
Management: Avoiding triggers, with inhaled treatment where needed.
Follow-up: As needed.
Prognosis: Good with the right management.
What you can do yourself: Identify and reduce your exposure; start preventive treatment before the season begins.
When should you book?: If you still have symptoms despite over-the-counter treatment.

Pleuritic pain (pain from the lining of the lung)

Typical age: All ages.
Background: Inflammation or irritation of the membranes lining the lung.
Symptoms: Sharp pain that worsens on deep breathing or coughing.
What the doctor looks for: The character of the pain and its link to breathing.
Investigations: The clinical picture; imaging may be needed to rule out an underlying cause.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture, with or without further investigation.
Management: Directed at the underlying cause, with pain relief.
Follow-up: According to the cause.
Prognosis: Varies with the underlying cause.
What you can do yourself: Note whether the pain worsens on deep breathing — that is typical and important to mention.
When should you book?: Promptly, for chest pain that is linked to breathing.

Sudden, sharp chest pain together with breathlessness must always be assessed as an emergency in order to rule out a more serious cause — see the safety box.

Pulmonary embolism — follow-up

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: A blood clot lodged in a pulmonary artery — a previous episode that has been treated.
Symptoms at follow-up: Questions about anticoagulant treatment, recovery and the risk of recurrence.
What the doctor looks for: Adherence to treatment and any persisting symptoms.
Investigations: A review of previous records and the treatment plan.
Diagnosis: Already made in hospital care; this concerns follow-up — not new diagnosis.
Management: Continued anticoagulant treatment according to the specialist plan.
Follow-up: Regular, according to specialist recommendation.
Prognosis: Good where treatment is carried through correctly.
What you can do yourself: Take anticoagulants exactly as prescribed; missed doses increase the risk.
When should you book?: For follow-up. For new breathlessness or chest pain — emergency care.

A new or suspected acute pulmonary embolism — sudden breathlessness, chest pain, a fast pulse — is always an emergency requiring immediate hospital care. This section applies expressly to follow-up after an episode that has already been diagnosed and treated, never to the assessment of new, acute symptoms. See the safety box.

Interstitial lung disease / pulmonary fibrosis — second opinion

Typical age: More common in middle-aged and older adults.
Background: Scarring or inflammation of the lung tissue that affects oxygen uptake.
Symptoms: Gradually increasing breathlessness, and a dry cough.
What the doctor looks for: How symptoms have developed, and previous investigation findings.
Investigations: A review of previous imaging and lung function tests.
Diagnosis: Requires specialist investigation for confirmation.
Management: According to the specialist plan.
Follow-up: Regular, often at a specialised respiratory clinic.
Prognosis: Varies a great deal with the type and the course.
What you can do yourself: Vaccination against influenza and pneumococcus is particularly important.
When should you book?: For increasing breathlessness or a dry cough.

Smoking-related cough and airway problems — investigation support

Typical age: Adult smokers or former smokers.
Background: Smoking damages the lining of the airways and can cause a chronic cough.
Symptoms: A chronic cough, often with phlegm, particularly in the morning.
What the doctor looks for: Smoking history, how symptoms have developed, and warning signs of a more serious cause.
Investigations: A review of symptoms; further investigation (an X-ray, for instance) may be needed for new or changed symptoms.
Diagnosis: The clinical picture; sometimes other causes need to be ruled out.
Management: Stopping smoking is the most important measure.
Follow-up: As needed.
Prognosis: Improvement is possible, particularly on stopping smoking.
What you can do yourself: Stopping smoking gives measurable improvement within months.
When should you book?: For a cough lasting more than eight weeks, or if you are coughing up blood.

Stopping smoking — support and methods

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: Stopping smoking is the single most effective measure in respiratory medicine. The benefits come sooner than most people expect: the rate at which lung function declines normalises within months, and cardiovascular risk begins to fall within weeks. Combining medication with talking support roughly doubles the chance of success.
Symptoms: During withdrawal: irritability, cravings, difficulty sleeping — usually worst in the first two weeks.
What the doctor looks for: Previous attempts, the strength of nicotine dependence, and what has triggered a relapse before.
Investigations: Not applicable; sometimes lung function measurement as motivational support.
Diagnosis: Not applicable.
Management: Nicotine replacement or prescription treatment, combined with talking support.
Follow-up: Close during the first few months.
Relapse risk factors to know: Alcohol, stress, other smokers around you, worry about gaining weight.
Common misconception: That you should stop purely on willpower. Combined support raises the chance considerably — using it is not a sign of weakness.
What you can do yourself: Set a date, get rid of everything smoking-related beforehand, and plan for the situations where you usually smoke.
When should you book?: When you are considering stopping, even if you are not entirely sure yet.
Prognosis: Good — most people who succeed have made several attempts first, which is entirely normal.

Breathlessness — investigating the cause

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: Breathlessness is one of the most common symptoms and one of the least precise — the cause can sit just as easily in the lungs, the heart or the blood (anaemia), or be linked to fitness or anxiety. Mapping how the breathlessness behaves is therefore more informative than going straight to a respiratory work-up.
Symptoms: Breathlessness on exertion, at rest, or lying down.
What the doctor looks for: Whether the breathlessness comes on exertion (fitness, lungs, heart), lying down (heart) or suddenly (an acute cause).
Investigations: Blood tests (haemoglobin, NT-proBNP), lung function measurement, ECG; sometimes imaging.
Diagnosis: From the pattern of how it behaves, which points towards different organ systems.
Management: Directed at the cause.
Follow-up: According to the findings.
Risk factors to know: Smoking, heart disease, overweight, anaemia, inactivity.
Common misconception: That breathlessness always comes from the lungs. Heart failure and anaemia are at least as common as causes.
What you can do yourself: Note the level of exertion at which the breathlessness appears, and whether it has worsened over time.
When should you book?: For breathlessness that has worsened over weeks or months. For sudden severe breathlessness — emergency care.
Prognosis: Good once the cause has been identified.

Sleep apnoea and pauses in breathing

Typical age: Adults; most common in middle-aged men and in women after the menopause.
Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea is common and substantially underdiagnosed. Left untreated it raises the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and road traffic accidents, while treatment gives many people a dramatic improvement in daytime sleepiness. It is often a partner's observations that lead to the diagnosis.
Symptoms: Heavy snoring, observed pauses in breathing, pronounced daytime sleepiness, morning headache, waking during the night.
What the doctor looks for: Daytime sleepiness combined with snoring and observed pauses — that combination is strongly suggestive.
Investigations: A sleep study through in-person care.
Diagnosis: A sleep study measuring the number of breathing pauses per hour.
Management: CPAP is the most effective; weight loss, a mandibular advancement device and positional therapy as alternatives or additions.
Follow-up: Regular while treatment is ongoing.
Risk factors to know: Overweight, neck circumference, age, alcohol in the evening, a blocked nose, male sex, and being postmenopausal in women.
Common misconception: That snoring is only a social problem. Alongside pauses in breathing and daytime sleepiness it is a medical condition with real risks.
What you can do yourself: Ask your partner whether they have observed pauses in your breathing — that is the single most valuable piece of information before the assessment.
When should you book?: For snoring with daytime sleepiness, or if anyone has observed pauses in your breathing.
Prognosis: Very good with treatment.

Lung function tests — what do they measure?

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: Spirometry is the fundamental investigation in respiratory medicine, but few patients understand what the values mean — which gives rise to both unnecessary worry and false reassurance. The test distinguishes obstructive impairment (asthma, COPD) from restrictive impairment (pulmonary fibrosis), and that distinction governs everything that follows.
Symptoms: Not applicable.
What the doctor looks for: The relationship between the different measurements, and whether the values improve after a bronchodilator (which points towards asthma).
Investigations: Spirometry with and without a bronchodilator; sometimes extended lung function measurement.
Diagnosis: From the pattern rather than from individual numbers.
Management: Not applicable — this is what guides the diagnosis.
Follow-up: Regular in chronic lung disease.
Risk factors to know: Smoking, occupational exposure, a family history of lung disease.
Common misconception: That a normal spirometry result rules out asthma. Asthma varies over time — a normal test between episodes does not exclude the diagnosis.
What you can do yourself: Avoid bronchodilator medication in the hours before the test if you have been told to — otherwise the result becomes hard to interpret.
When should you book?: To go through a spirometry report you do not understand, or for symptoms that warrant lung function measurement.
Prognosis: Not applicable.

Long-standing cough — a systematic work-up

Typical age: All adult ages.
Background: A cough lasting more than eight weeks has, in the great majority of cases, one of three causes: asthma (including the cough-variant form), reflux, or post-nasal drip from the nose. Together these three account for most chronic cough in non-smokers with a normal chest X-ray — which means a systematic work-up usually produces an answer.
Symptoms: A persistent cough, dry or productive, often with a clear daily pattern.
What the doctor looks for: What time of day the cough is worst — at night points to asthma or reflux, in the morning to post-nasal drip or smoking.
Investigations: Chest X-ray, spirometry; sometimes a trial of treatment used diagnostically.
Diagnosis: By working systematically through the three most common causes.
Management: Directed at the identified cause.
Follow-up: After a trial of treatment.
Risk factors to know: Smoking, ACE inhibitors (blood pressure medication that causes a dry cough in some people), reflux, allergy.
Common misconception: That a long-standing cough means a lingering infection. After eight weeks, infection is an uncommon cause.
What you can do yourself: Check whether you are taking an ACE inhibitor — a common and easily remedied cause of chronic dry cough.
When should you book?: For a cough lasting more than eight weeks. For coughing up blood or weight loss — promptly.
Prognosis: Good — most people get an explanation from a systematic work-up.

Contact

Book appointment info@medix7.com

The information on this page is general patient information and does not replace an individual medical assessment. Digital care has limitations and cannot handle emergencies — see the emergency box above. If you are unsure, contact healthcare services or your local emergency number.

About this content

This information draws on established Swedish clinical sources, primarily 1177 Vårdguiden, Internetmedicin and Läkemedelsboken. It is general patient information and does not replace individual medical assessment.