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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Asthma?
Answered by
This forum is for questions and support regarding lung and respiratory issues such as: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds - Flu, Chronic Cough, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema, Fibrosis, Lung Abscess, Nasal Polyps, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Sarcoidosis, Sinusitis, Tuberculosis.
Asthma?
by Jolanta, Jul 20, 2004 12:00AM
Thank you so much for your help with my problems, i do have some more questions . I saw my doctor last week and i was diagnosed with Hrad ,he put me on pulmicort once a day and singuliar and set one more visit and siad that no more control is needed,/after 2 week i dont feel much better, especially at evening it gets pretty bad/ my breathing test was generaly good all above normal but i had 7 % reversability after inhaled asthma medicine. I was reading alot of post on this site and it was said that asthma can be diagnosed when there is 20%.Would 7% mean asthma? Should i see another doctor? Also when i was thinking about my symptoms i remebered that it not the first time things like that happend to me , it might not been that obvious like this time but i had some episodes of shortnes of breath particulary started with lots of phlegm and burning feeling in my chest and throat then my lungs were sticking together making it hard to breath but there was always burning pain in my chest and lungs, would that be due to asthma or should i check for allergies as well cuz most of symptoms i had usually started at spring or summer time , also they always go away at night time .
Please help me . thank you.
Id also like to ask about irreversible lung changes due to asthma , how bad it can get , and does it really make your life terrible?
Please help me . thank you.
Id also like to ask about irreversible lung changes due to asthma , how bad it can get , and does it really make your life terrible?
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Jul 23, 2004 12:00AM
, Jul 23, 2004 12:00AM
Infections can cause inflammation of the airways of the lungs. Usually when this occurs, you may cough when you are active or laugh. This inflammation can cause shortness of breath, lots of phlegm, and a burning feeling in the chest. After the cold is gone, it is possible for the inflammation to linger. This inflammation can last for several weeks. Sometimes this inflammation may linger for 3 to 6 months. Eventually the inflammation will go away, and then the shortness of breath, lots of phlegm, and burning feeling in the chest will stop. This is called reactive airways disease (RAD) and behaves a lot like asthma. On a simple breathing test, called spirometry, this may not show up. This inflammation often clears more quickly when it is treated with an inhaled steroid medicine like Pulmicort Turbuhaler® (budesonide inhalation powder), which is used to treat asthma. It may be possible to lessen your symptoms or eliminate them totally, but it may take longer than 2 weeks. Your doctor is the best judge of this.
When this continues, it is generally considered to be asthma. A lung problem such as asthma can cause shortness of breath, lots of phlegm, and a burning feeling in the chest. It is typical for asthma to be worse at night. Also it is common for infections to trigger asthma. For some people allergies trigger their asthma. For other people allergies do not trigger their asthma at all.
A methacholine challenge is the gold standard for diagnosing asthma. During this breathing test you will blow into a spirometer before and after each increasing dose of an inhaled medicine. This test is generally considered to be positive for asthma if the result after the inhaled medicine is 20% lower than it was before the inhaled medicine. Usually a person with asthma would have at least a 14% increase in lung function after inhaling albuterol. This may be why your doctor has diagnosed you as having RAD rather than asthma.
However your 7% reversibility does not necessarily mean you do not have asthma. The best way to measure reversibility is when you are having a problem breathing or by doing a challenge test, such as the methacholine that was described in the paragraph above. In a person with asthma a challenge test causes the airways to close. However, it is very unusual to have a methacholine challenge in the office of a primary care doctor.
Generally it is recommend that a specialist be seen when any one of the following occur:
· Allergies are being considered
· Confusion with the diagnosis
· Several visits to the hospital or emergency room in the last year
· You are not getting better with treatment
The earlier in life that asthma begins, the greater the likelihood that irreversible lung damage will occur. However this can happen at anytime to anyone with asthma. This remodeling is more likely to happen when asthma is poorly controlled. Remodeling causes structural changes in the airways of the lungs. When these changes happen in the small airways they are more likely to be permanent. This may speed up the natural decrease in lung function. Using a peak flow meter is helpful to monitor asthma, but this device does not measure the airflow from the small airways. For this reason it is important to periodically do a breathing test called spirometry to monitor the condition of the small airways.
When this continues, it is generally considered to be asthma. A lung problem such as asthma can cause shortness of breath, lots of phlegm, and a burning feeling in the chest. It is typical for asthma to be worse at night. Also it is common for infections to trigger asthma. For some people allergies trigger their asthma. For other people allergies do not trigger their asthma at all.
A methacholine challenge is the gold standard for diagnosing asthma. During this breathing test you will blow into a spirometer before and after each increasing dose of an inhaled medicine. This test is generally considered to be positive for asthma if the result after the inhaled medicine is 20% lower than it was before the inhaled medicine. Usually a person with asthma would have at least a 14% increase in lung function after inhaling albuterol. This may be why your doctor has diagnosed you as having RAD rather than asthma.
However your 7% reversibility does not necessarily mean you do not have asthma. The best way to measure reversibility is when you are having a problem breathing or by doing a challenge test, such as the methacholine that was described in the paragraph above. In a person with asthma a challenge test causes the airways to close. However, it is very unusual to have a methacholine challenge in the office of a primary care doctor.
Generally it is recommend that a specialist be seen when any one of the following occur:
· Allergies are being considered
· Confusion with the diagnosis
· Several visits to the hospital or emergency room in the last year
· You are not getting better with treatment
The earlier in life that asthma begins, the greater the likelihood that irreversible lung damage will occur. However this can happen at anytime to anyone with asthma. This remodeling is more likely to happen when asthma is poorly controlled. Remodeling causes structural changes in the airways of the lungs. When these changes happen in the small airways they are more likely to be permanent. This may speed up the natural decrease in lung function. Using a peak flow meter is helpful to monitor asthma, but this device does not measure the airflow from the small airways. For this reason it is important to periodically do a breathing test called spirometry to monitor the condition of the small airways.
Member Comments (3)
by Jolanta, Jul 20, 2004 12:00AM
I forgot to add and all of it i feel only on right side of my lung sometimes it feels like inside of my right ear thrue my nose throat and lungs are going into spasm and it all getting sore like with cold. Thank you
by Jolanta, Jul 22, 2004 12:00AM
Id also like to ask for how long since person stop smoking there is still a danger of developing copd?
