How do you know if you really have asthma? It seems to be a catchall for any breathing problem.?
I saw a doctor for my chest tightness and he said I probably have asthma. I'm young and in good health. I don't wheeze, I don't cough a lot, it is not related to exercise. I just feel like I can't take a deep breath sometimes, and in certain positions, like when lifting something heavy overhead, I feel more constriction. But my real question is, how do I know if asthma is actually causing my problem? The doctor seems unsure, and I don't want to take meds for the rest of my life, just because it's the doc's best guess. Has anyone else had this problem?
Answer by Nancy
Go to WebMD and assess your symptoms and see if they line up with what your doctor said and what your having. I have Asthma and it's not the end of the world. I don't take medication everyday or everyother day. Sometimes allergies can trigger asthma or asthma type symptoms. If you can see a ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor to see if you have seasonal allergies. Remember that asthma is not a problem that you can choice to take or not take your medication. If you do have asthma it means that durning an attack that your lungs are not getting the air it needs to function..this can damage your lungs and you could die. Please take it seriously and do your research so that you can make a better informed decision about your health.
Answer by scaryclairy
Technically, asthma can be diagnosed using spirometry. This test looks at how much air you can take into your lungs and how quickly this air moves in and out. In asthma, the air moves out slower than in a normal person as the lung passages are narrowed. The thing that confirms asthma is reversability of the narrowing by B agonists (ventolin) so that the air should move out of the lungs at a faster rate after taking ventolin.
The thing is that spirometry is expensive and most GP's (in the UK at least) don't want their patients to endure long waiting lists when they could easly andquickly be treated using ventolin if the patient feels less tight chested after using it. It sounds to me that if u were to be prescribed meds for your lung problem then you would only need to take ventolin when you felt tight chested.
Answer by dragonfly_faith
There are many different types of asthma, not all of them cause wheezing. Try going to http://asthma.com/ They have a lot of helpful information about the different types of asthma.
But remember, Asthma is not the end of the world. For me, my asthma only bothers me during certain types of the year. I keep an inhaler with me for those breakouts but besides that, I live my life normally. Good luck to you!
Answer by Coconuts
my Dr told me i had alergy induced asthma, but at the time i did not have time get tested for it so he just gave me the meds but told me to take them when i had problems or i thought i was going to. Asthma is a rising problem because of polution. I dont take the meds all the time it is just when i have a problem you can ask the dr to test you not sure what exactley that involves though but it is a nice thing to have the beds on hand just incase
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