What problem do I really have? Help

  So two years ago I went to the doctor because my breathing issues were getting bad and I finally had good health insurance. My doctor had me take a breathing test and said my lung capacity being at the time 20 years old should be around 440 but i was more around 280, so she put me on advair, but I got phenomena a few days after taking it, so I stopped, cuz it hadnt seemed to help much. The biggest problem I have is when i am for one running, expecially if its cold out, because then I start wheezing loud. Also a problem I have always had is with sleeping, I cannot sleep on my stomach or even sometimes my side because then I can not breath as well at all. I have never been able to sleep on my stomach due to this. Also my breathing problems are very noticeable if I walk up stairs or hills I will instantly become short of breath and a pounding headache. I should mention I am an average weight 21 year old at 135 pounds and 5'4 and I work out every other day for an hour. I sometimes take a puff of proair before working out but the first time I had it I took two puffs like it said to do, but then my heart began to hurt, a tight feeling in my chest, so I lowered my amount from then on. I'm worried that this could be more than just asthma or exercise induced asthma. I sometimes feel like I have to pund my chest to be able to get my lungs working fine again. It also takes a long time for me to be able to take a deep breath sometimes. This may have nothing to do with it, but my chiropractor did a spine test, that showed colors for the pressure impact on my cervical vertabrae C1 through C4 were pretty bad, in the black zone. Now I know one of those controls the nerves that work for breathing. But I just don't know what doctor to go to, a specialist for the lungs perhaps, and what to ask to get done. Please give your feedback on what this could be. Thanks.  i will be checking in on this post.

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

The description you have provided is strongly suggestive of asthma, with an exercise-induced (cold-air aggravated) component; for example, “The biggest problem I have is when i am for one running, especially if it’s cold out, because then I start wheezing”.  

The numbers provided, 440 and 280,  undoubtedly are what we call peak flows (a measure of the highest airflow rate that can be attained by a forceful exhalation).  It is characteristically reduced in asthma and reversible by medications called bronchodilators that can dilate one’s airways.  Proair is an example of this type of drug.

The developing of a “pounding headache” is not characteristic of exercise-induced asthma but might be secondary to increased neck muscle spasm, secondary to your experiencing difficulty breathing, but could also be related to an increase in pulse or blood pressure.  A simple, medically supervised, exercise test might provide an answer to this question.  

“Sometimes it takes a long time for me to be able to take a deep breath.”  This suggests an element of anxiety or even another diagnosis that may be associated with asthma, called Vocal Cord Dysfunction, that when present may make it difficult for a person to take a deep breath in (rather than out).

I agree with your suspicion that the “black zone” of your vertebrae by the chiropractor has nothing to do with the breathing problem or “the nerves that control breathing.”   At age 20, it is highly likely that this finding is a false alarm but I suggest that you discuss this with your medical doctor, who may wish to take confirmatory X-rays or a Bone Density exam to be sure you don’t have early-onset osteoporosis.

Your decision to consult a pulmonary physician is wise.  It will enable you to get a definitive answer to your questions about breathing and get on with your life without the worry that you might have some other serious lung disease and, at the same time, get optimum therapy for the treatment of what probably is asthma.

Good luck