Solution to Chronic Shortness of Breath?

[Ellery89]

I am a male, 21 years of age and have had asthma since I was 6. My asthma is currently fully controlled. However, last year, in August of 2010 I was on a farm in Taiwan when I began to have a breathing problem. The day after I showed up on the farm the problems began. At the same time, I ran out of my emergency inhaler.

My main symptoms are 24/7 and general, since August 2010 have not gotten better or worse: If I am breathing normally I will slowly begin to have a tightening sensation in the chest and throat. Then I will feel like I am not getting enough air and will take a sharp and big breath in. 50% of the time this results in relief, the other 50% of the time it will be a sharp breath in that feels like it cannot be completed. It feels like I am unable to "get over the hump."

I left the farm after three days. I left because I was told there was mold in my bed and pillow. I am allergic to mold...

I then lived in Mainland China for 4 months. I thought it was my asthma. I finally got my emergency inhaler sent to me but it did not help this breathing problem at all. I took Chinese GERD medicine by recommendation of one of the 5 doctors I saw in China. It did not work. I also had a chest X-ray which was normal. They also did some blood test which was also normal. All 5 doctors were stumped. One said I had lung inflamation, another said I just need to relax.

I came back to the states and saw my asthma doctor. All the tests showed my asthma was under control. She diagnosed me with VCD and suggested I see a speech therapist. She said it will likely go away on its own. Others she has seen with the same problem - there symptoms went away within a year.

I then began to see a speech therapist in March 2011. She had me doing breathing exercises for two months. This gave me something to do and kept me from getting anxious about not being able to breathe (which makes it worse) but it did not help.

This past week, June 2011, my speech therapist had me see a doctor who would look at my vocal cords. The doctor looked at my cords with a scope. The top part on the left (the two "bars" that make a triangle - I forget what they are called) - it sagged down some and lookd swollen. He said it was not abnormal and may have always been that way. He said my vocal cords and folds function almost entirely normally with some small abnormalties. He said it was not VCD. He plans on sharing the video with my speech therapist and asthma doctor and other specialists to determine. He was not very concerned but also said he didn't know enough about breath stuff to say what my problem was about. I am leaving for China for 2 months in 4 days. I will not be able to see any doctors during this time.

It is not asthma, nor VCD. All the dozens of specialists and doctors I have seen are stumped. I am desperate to find a solution - I'm looking for an answer and a cure. Thank you!!

[arit]

i hear qvar can reach the small airways better and may help ... take a look at this study:
http://www.worldallergy.org/small_airways_group/educational_resources/particle_deposition.pdf

[arit]

I have the same kind of asthma. Your asthma is primarily affecting the small airways thus some tests may be normal. They cannot test the small airways properly with any tests. Some tests may slightly measure them but are not accurate. I take flovent or advair 500/50 twice daily. But when it is really polluted like today I have breathing problems (tight chest) hard to get a breath 50% of the time.

[hava]

You have had a lot of checks done. Start doing this pranayam daily, twice a day.This will build up your immune system with the extra oxygen being carried around your systems.Post you updates regularly.Continue the pranayam, once a day, when you are better.The timing of the pranayam is very important, and the benefit is gradual, so do not give up.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after one minute.
Anulom Vilom pranayam –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril  
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril  
then -keeping the left nostril closed  deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.Keep your eyes closed, during this pranayam.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30  minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for 20 to 30 minutes twice a day. Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Bhramri Pranayam -Close eyes. Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three fingers on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in through nose. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee.
Duration : 5 to 21  times
June 17, 2011