Tactile thrill is a vibration felt by placing a hand on the area where it occurs. It can indicate lung problems or inflammatory conditions and is a quick way to evaluate a patient. Doctors use it to diagnose and test patients.
Tactile thrill is a vibration of the human body that can be felt by placing a hand on the area where the vibration occurs. It can be a clinical sign and can be checked during a baseline exam in the process of assessing a patient’s symptoms to start thinking about a diagnosis or more tests. There are many different types of tactile thrill, the most common being the tactile vocal thrill, which is perceived as a buzzing in the chest and back when the patient speaks.
In the case of tactile vocal tremor, problems with the lungs can involve an increase or damping of the vibrations or changes in the intensity of the vibration between the lungs. Fluid-filled lungs and chest cavities will vibrate more, for example, and a doctor can find the location of the fluid by carefully feeling the chest and back while the patient is asked to repeat a phrase designed to cause the chest to vibrate. The tremor can also be seen on ultrasound examinations, as sounds made in the body will interfere with the transducer signal.
Tactile thrill can also be experienced with some types of inflammatory conditions. Inflamed and swollen organs can vibrate against the body when people move or cough, and this can be felt by a doctor. You may also notice crackling and other clinical signs such as warmth, swelling, or tenderness. With conditions involving the lungs, the patient may also cough, produce a lot of sputum, or have difficulty breathing.
Tactile thrill testing is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to evaluate a patient. X-rays and other medical imaging studies can be used instead to check for problems such as fluid or air deposits, swelling, or other abnormalities. When these tests aren’t available or aren’t convenient, or a doctor wants to do a quick evaluation, knowing how to check for tactile thrill can be invaluable. Doctors are usually taught these and other physical exam techniques while in medical school and are given the opportunity to learn about patients so they know how healthy patients feel versus unhealthy ones.
Sometimes people may notice the tactile thrill. If someone has been coughing and having difficulty breathing and notices that the chest seems to vibrate more during speech, this may be a sign of fluid in the lungs or around the chest cavity and it is advisable to see a doctor. Patients may mention this symptom to help with the diagnosis, and the doctor can test for this by asking the patient to vocalize during a physical exam.
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