Possible lung problem

[asfd]

This is a long question, thanks for bearing with me..Before I describe my symptoms I will say that I am concerned that perhaps the environment that I live/work could be contributing but i'm not so sure...I live and work in the attic of a house.  I have a seperate air condition/heating system and being the attic every time the air turns on I smell insulation or the same "musty" smell as is from the part of the attic which gets very hot in the summer as heat rises and my a/c runs nearly constantly all day on a hot summers day.

My symptoms are a general craving for air especially when at rest.  It feels like my diaphram, particularly in the upper part of my chest will not expand enough to get a nice, deep refreshing breath of air...but sometimes I can "force" in that refreshing breath. It feels like there is a moderate pressure in the center/upper area over a broad area of my chest,especially when I lay down on my back. This disturbs my sleep, usually when first falling asleep I often awaken suddenly in terror as it feels like my respiratory muscle is paralyzed and I'm gasping for air.   Also of note, I have had a problem with chronic headaches, blood red nasal lining inside my nose, turbinate disfunction.    

However, I had had a normal brain MRI, allergy test, chest Xray, Pulmonary functions tests and an echo/ekg, and arterial bloodgas. Of note, my sinuses are crystal clear by CT.

What can you tell me about my condition, should I take it one step further and insist on a chest CT? Could my ENVIRONMENT be the factor? I have left for 24 hrs with no improvement. 28/male

[Jane1]

I don't like air conditioning systems and I do think if they aren't properly checked they could lead to your particular breathing problems.  What you are describing sounds to me ( not a professional) like mild asthma which could be worsened by the environment that you are in and also by panicking about the symptoms.  Like others have suggested, if you can get away from that environment for more than 24 hours and see if there is an improvement in your condition.  You have been had many tests and these should set your mind at rest, PFT's would probably not show much if this is mild asthma.  But something is bothering you and the environment would seem to point to it.  The shortness of breath in sleep, I can relate to, I get it and it often happens when I am snoring ( which I never admit to!!) Maybe a Sleep study could rule out apnea? Bear in mind, stress also has a big part to play and if you are stressed out by this it could be furthering the symptoms.  If you think it will help get the CT scan there is nothing like putting the mind totally at rest to aid in helping these disorders.

All the best
j

[National Jewish]

The symptoms you have described are not easy to put together into an easy diagnosis or this would have been done already.  It appears that the amount of air going in and out of your lungs is normal based on your normal pulmonary function tests (PFTs).  Your normal chest x-ray, echo, and EKG show that there is no gross abnormality in your lungs and heart.  If getting a CT of the chest would be of comfort, this is a relatively easy non-invasive test that can be performed.

Whenever someone has these types of symptoms and the objective tests are normal, anxiety and panic attacks need to be considered.  These diagnoses are usually made after all of the common reasons have been excluded.  I would talk to your doctor about this possibility.  Perhaps have the CT of the chest as a last objective measurement.

[G.P.]

Have your doctor check a chest x-ray to see if you have a paralyzed diaphragm.  It can be confirmed with a "sniff" test (a special x-ray).

[myproblem]

If the attic is more than a few years old, and I assume it is quite a lot older than that, you are breathing in mold spores, fungus, particles of insulation, and who knows what else. You may be able to have the health dept. come out and evaluate the air quality, and other hazards. Just going away for a week or two probably won't make much of a difference, because it takes a while for your body to get back to normal. The good news is that unless you've been breathing in something like asbestos, the symptoms will probably go away eventually. It actually sounds like your workup has been pretty complete. A chest CT would not hurt, but might be no more conclusive than anything else. If it isn't your environment, you may have to consider panic disorder as a possibility.

[PhysBrit]

It sounds like the quality of air you are breathing isn't healthy. Have you tried getting away for a week or so and seeing if there are any improvements? Maybe you should call some about you a/c and see if the problem could lie there or it may well that you are breathing the insulation into your lungs?
You say you "wake in the night in terror". Do you stop breathing and wake up gasping for air? Do you feel tired during the day? These, as well as headaches, are symptoms of a condition called sleep apnoea. This is when the airways relax and close up when a person is asleep causing their brain to alert them to wake so you can breathe. Don't worry if this sounds like you, this is a treatable condition.

[myproblem]

Also there is probably mouse and rat poo in the walls, and all the germs that go with it. Probably dead bugs too.