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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
DYAPHRAGM DISORDER
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.
DYAPHRAGM DISORDER
by coot, Oct 26, 2002 12:00AM
My symptoms were like that of a heart attack-shortness of breath and chest pain. After two trips to the hospital and tests,the poss.of heart problems was elimated. A lung capacity test was slightly below normal. I was treated for asthma with no improvement. Thank goodness I have a Dr. who listens! I was sent to a respiratory specialist. He sent me for xrays and a sniff test. Diagnosis was that the right side of my diaphragm was paralized. I have never heard of that. I am 72 years old and have no idea how serious this is. What am I to expect? I was told to wait 3 months and then have another chest x-ray. Then if it was OK I would have one once a year. Can you tell me anything about what to expect?
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Nov 20, 2002 12:00AM
, Nov 20, 2002 12:00AM
The chest pain and shortness of breath are common presenting symptoms. The seriousness of the problem depends on what has caused the diaphragm to be paralyzed.
The most common cause of paralysis to one side of the diaphragm is trauma that may occur along with surgery. There are many other causes including abnormalities of structures along the nerve’s path to the diaphragm. Non-invasive techniques such as a CT scan may be helpful in looking for these causes.
In many instances the problem is simply that the nerve that normally stimulates the diaphragm is not working properly. If this is the case, you may continue to experience some increased shortness of breath without other serious consequences.
If the nerve is simply inflamed, you may spontaneously recover function when the cause of the inflammation goes away. This could happen with Herpes Zoster, the virus that causes "shingles".
The most common cause of paralysis to one side of the diaphragm is trauma that may occur along with surgery. There are many other causes including abnormalities of structures along the nerve’s path to the diaphragm. Non-invasive techniques such as a CT scan may be helpful in looking for these causes.
In many instances the problem is simply that the nerve that normally stimulates the diaphragm is not working properly. If this is the case, you may continue to experience some increased shortness of breath without other serious consequences.
If the nerve is simply inflamed, you may spontaneously recover function when the cause of the inflammation goes away. This could happen with Herpes Zoster, the virus that causes "shingles".
Member Comments (1)
by alynb, Jul 01, 2008 07:31AM
A related discussion, Paralized Diaphragm was started.
