Could I have asthma

  • Thread starter Thread starter jazzyboo
  • Start date Start date
J

jazzyboo

Guest
Will try to make this short. I suffer occasionally from shortness of breath, tightness in my chest for couple years now,(comes and goes) like 5 or so years. Been to many doctors. Anyway, about 3 weeks ago, it started again. It started I believe when I started opening my windows and turning off the AC. I went outside one day to get my son from playing and I noticed my breathing got tight. I got scared and ran to my cardiologist. He assured me after yet another EKG (had a full workup in July and was told all good)that my heart was fine. Anyway, I am now noticing that when it happens my nostrils get stuffy and I have noticed this in the past. Does this sound like an allergy? An ER doctor listened to my lungs recently and said they sounded clear when I asked him if it could be asthma. I am a meraber of a menopause site and quite a few ladies told me it sounRAB like asthma so I brought that up with the ER doctor. He was more focused on heart tests, however, understandably. At any rate, he said only a pulmonologist or allergist can diagnose asthma so I need to see one. I guess you dont always have to be wheezing or couging up mucous to be diagnosed? I am curious with the stuffy nose, tight chest/short of breath correlation. Do you think they are related? Is it an allergy? I get stuffy at any time of day. It just blocks up one or the other nostril but it does not run where I need to blow, it is mostly back flow like sinus drainage. Thanks for any replies. The ER doctor did not diagnose asthma but gave me a prescription for an inhaler and said to follow up with my doctor. I did not get it yet. Is it safe to use an nhaler even though not officially diagnosed with asthma? I am so upset over this SOB/tight chest feeling and feeling so depressed about it. I am waiting to get some money to go see an allergist or pulmonologist. Thanks for any replies.
 
I forgot to mention that I have really bad GERD that awakens me at night most nights. I dont sleep well at all. It is horrible. I wake up with burning, pain in my chest, and backflow of stomach contents. Few nights this month I also woke up coughing hysterically from choking on something.
 
It could very well be from the GERD as it and acid reflux can mimic asthma symptoms. And I would not use the inhaler until you got a dx because you don't really know how to use it effectively. Allergies can also cause some of this. So I would see a good allergist or pulmonologist and get a full work up - allergy testing, asthma testing, etc. Then you'll know the real cause.
 
Thank you Titchou, I guess I will never really know until I go get checked out. I wish I could soon but I can't. I dont have ins and no money right now. Hopefully in the middle of the month or so. I still have it though and it is depressing when you are not sure what's wrong and you know something is wrong. I find myself coughing a bit now especially when I take a deep breath at times, which feels tight. It just feels like i have to get whatever little is down in my lungs out.

Will let you know what happens when I do go. Thanks again.
 
You're welcome. Just an FYI, a friend was in a similar situation. Her GP thought she had asthma and put her on an inhaler. Was no help at all. So after several months, her GP sent her to my allergy/asthma doc. Turns out it was acid reflux, not asthma. Changed her meRAB, diet, sleeps at an angle and she is now fine. So it's really important to go get a proper evaluation.
 
Back
Top