I think I may have asthma, but I don't know for sure?!
Question: I think I may have asthma, but I don't know for sure?
Ok so lately I've been having trouble taking in a deep breath. Like its really hard.
It has been happening a lot lately and I don't know why.
I had asthma when I was younger, but then it left, but I think it is coming back.
Maybe it is a mild form of asthma? Because I haven't had a panic attack or anything, just hard to breathe....
Also I am taking a mood stabilizer, which may have something to do with it?
Oh and I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but I'm really athletic and in shape, but I have a really really high heart rate.
Do you know whats wrong????? :(
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Asthma gets better BUT it NEVER fully disappears forever.
You can have asthma when very young but by your teens it may seem to be gone. Later in life it seems to reoccur.
You really need to go visits your Doctor to have your asthma checked and be given an inhaler top prevent or assist with an attack.
My son's the same. He had bad asthma until he was 5 or 6 BUt it went away and is now back again at the age of 15.
RN
Do you have shortness of breath, coughing, chest tightness? Is it worse at night? Worse certain seasons? <-- symptoms of asthma. Asthma diagnosis is made by a doctor that checks your pulmonary function.
Depends on which mood stabilizer you take. High heart rate is also bad, depends on how high it is. Hard to say without more detail.
This is a great resource for panic and anxiety related issues, and I hope it helps
http://bit.ly/dSHnjn
have your time to meet the doctor.
Asthma signs are wheezing (high pitched breathing sounds) and shortness of breath due to inflammation and edema (swelling) of the airways. It can be triggered by stress, cold air, and allergies.
Asthma can go away after childhood but usually remains.
Breathing trouble can also be heart related. You need to get evaluated by a physician. He can order a test like pulmonary function tests to start out with or a test called "methacholine challenge" where an asthma attack is medically simulated. If the test is positive, asthma is confirmed.
Inhalers like Albuterol help with asthma (they widen the airways). Other inhalers like inhaled steroids prevent inflammation and edema and therefore prevent asthma attacks.
I'm not sure about the mood stabilizer, but it would be definitely a good idea to see a pulmonologist who specializes in this field.