Aa
What kind of tests will they want to do? Help?
I've had short breath and chest pain for a month now. Sometimes it gets really bad, especially afture excersise, and at night. I already went to the ER like a month ago when it started. They didn't really do anything other then chest x-ray me and check my vitals. They Said that I was ok and that it wasn't asthma. That's pretty much it. Now it's been a month and it still is bad, rather annoying. I have trouble going to sleep from it and it distracts me in shcool. And it weirds other people out, me always gasping or yawning right next to them. Lol.
So if I were to go see a doctor what kind of tests would they want to do?
I'm 15 and it kinda makes me nervous to go to doctors because I've only really gone a few times in my life. I just wanna know what to expect.
Probably an EKG? What else?
Should I even go? I don't think they're going to find a cause anyway.... Now without like a CT scan or something. I don't want a CT scan... :(
Plus when I go and they don't find anything I'm going to feel embarrassed wasting insurance deductable money... I have good insurance that I have never used except that one time at ER, but still my family is really poor...
So if I were to go see a doctor what kind of tests would they want to do?
I'm 15 and it kinda makes me nervous to go to doctors because I've only really gone a few times in my life. I just wanna know what to expect.
Probably an EKG? What else?
Should I even go? I don't think they're going to find a cause anyway.... Now without like a CT scan or something. I don't want a CT scan... :(
Plus when I go and they don't find anything I'm going to feel embarrassed wasting insurance deductable money... I have good insurance that I have never used except that one time at ER, but still my family is really poor...
Wow thanks for the info bit there! I feel alot better knowing what they will do to me lol.
Thankyou again...
Thankyou again...
Red_Star Is correct on everything mentioned I suggest you see a pulmonologist doctor. They specialize in the lungs.
Excerpt from shortness of breath education guide:
"In order to find the cause of your shortness of breath, your doctor will start by asking you questions about your medical history and, then, will do a physical examination. Next, your doctor will check the amount of oxygen in your blood. This is a simple test done by placing a sensor on your finger or earlobe while you are sitting and walking. Once those tests are done, your doctor may then perform one or more of the following screening tests:
• Chest x-ray—to look at the lungs.
• Breathing tests (called pulmonary function tests)—to see how well the lungs get air in and out. These tests can help identify problems of the airways or bronchial tubes, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, scarring of the lungs (fibrosis), or other breathing problems.
• Blood tests—to check for anemia or low blood count.
• Heart tracing (called an electrocardiogram or ECG)—to see if there is any heart damage.
Sometimes, even after the first tests, the cause of the shortness of breath is still not known. Other common tests for patients with shortness of breath include the following:
• CT scan of the chest—shows more detail than a chest x-ray and may show scarring in the lungs (interstitial lung disease). Sometimes CT scans are done with contrast. This means a dye is injected into a vein to give an even more detailed view. This may be done if your doctor thinks there may be a blood clot in your lungs.
• If your doctor suspects you may have asthma, you may be given a medication that affects the bronchial tubes while breathing tests are done.
• Bronchoscopy—If the breathing tests show that something is blocking your airway, your doctor may need to look into your airways with a lighted scope. This procedure is called a bronchoscopy. This test may also be necessary, along with a biopsy of the lung, if the CT scan shows areas which are not normal.
• Muscle and nerve testing—to see if your muscles or nerves are causing weak breathing muscles (this is rare).
• Heart tests—many times, shortness of breath is not caused by a lung problem but by a heart problem instead.
The most common heart tests for patients with shortness of breath include:
– echocardiogram—ultrasound waves are used to get a detailed look at the heart valves and how well the heart pumps.
– stress test—walking on a treadmill to check the heart during exercise.
– nuclear medicine testing—another way to get a look at how well the heart is working.
– maximum cardiopulmonary exercise test. This means exercising on a treadmill or bicycle until you cannot go any further. This test helps your doctor see how well your whole body is working during activity.
"In order to find the cause of your shortness of breath, your doctor will start by asking you questions about your medical history and, then, will do a physical examination. Next, your doctor will check the amount of oxygen in your blood. This is a simple test done by placing a sensor on your finger or earlobe while you are sitting and walking. Once those tests are done, your doctor may then perform one or more of the following screening tests:
• Chest x-ray—to look at the lungs.
• Breathing tests (called pulmonary function tests)—to see how well the lungs get air in and out. These tests can help identify problems of the airways or bronchial tubes, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, scarring of the lungs (fibrosis), or other breathing problems.
• Blood tests—to check for anemia or low blood count.
• Heart tracing (called an electrocardiogram or ECG)—to see if there is any heart damage.
Sometimes, even after the first tests, the cause of the shortness of breath is still not known. Other common tests for patients with shortness of breath include the following:
• CT scan of the chest—shows more detail than a chest x-ray and may show scarring in the lungs (interstitial lung disease). Sometimes CT scans are done with contrast. This means a dye is injected into a vein to give an even more detailed view. This may be done if your doctor thinks there may be a blood clot in your lungs.
• If your doctor suspects you may have asthma, you may be given a medication that affects the bronchial tubes while breathing tests are done.
• Bronchoscopy—If the breathing tests show that something is blocking your airway, your doctor may need to look into your airways with a lighted scope. This procedure is called a bronchoscopy. This test may also be necessary, along with a biopsy of the lung, if the CT scan shows areas which are not normal.
• Muscle and nerve testing—to see if your muscles or nerves are causing weak breathing muscles (this is rare).
• Heart tests—many times, shortness of breath is not caused by a lung problem but by a heart problem instead.
The most common heart tests for patients with shortness of breath include:
– echocardiogram—ultrasound waves are used to get a detailed look at the heart valves and how well the heart pumps.
– stress test—walking on a treadmill to check the heart during exercise.
– nuclear medicine testing—another way to get a look at how well the heart is working.
– maximum cardiopulmonary exercise test. This means exercising on a treadmill or bicycle until you cannot go any further. This test helps your doctor see how well your whole body is working during activity.
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