Difficulty breathing

[usnavymaa]

Hello, I am a healthy 26 y/o male, not overweight, in relatively good condition. About 4 years ago I started randomly getting episodes of shortness of breath and chest tightness. It comes and goes, and when it comes it usually lasts 3-4 days. Then goes away like it never happened... this goes on about once or twice per month, every month, like clock work. I have lived in several different regions over the years due to military life. I have seen civilian doctors(told me it was acute bronchitis) and have seen multiple military doctors (they told me stress and anxiety) Just this past thursday (09FEB2012) It got so bad I needed to go to the ER, and after all the tests, etc, the person diagnosed it as allergies... I dont believe this as I have lived in Arizona, Illinois, Washington State, and now Sicily, Italy. Inhalers don't work, allergy medicine doesnt work.


When I wake up on the days that I have this problem, its easy to breath but the more I breath, the harder it gets, and eventually, it ruins my day. I'm afraid I will never figure out what the problem is.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

There is an entity called exercise induced Asthma, here as the person starts exercise, the changes in the environmental air breathed in trigger an attack of asthma, causing cough and breathlessness. Have yourself evaluated for the same. This can be detected by a spirometry test.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[allmymarbles]

You may have allergies only to certain foods or scents. It takes about 48 hours for an allergen to clear your body. When you went to the ER what did they do? Did they use epinephrine? If so, did it work? If it did then you were suffering from an allergy. It just occurred to me that you are always on a military base. So it may have to do with something specific to the ammunition, air or food that would be found in such places.

[usnavymaa]

oh, also, the doctor who saw me in the ER asked if I was having pain because at the peak of trying to 'inhale deeply' my whole body would tense up.. I don't feel pain, but maybe I am without noticing it.