My Asthma.. Typical? Or, Something Else!?

[ilaugh@myself.why]

it may just be me, but i think my asthma is, peculiar..

my doctor diagnosed me in 2001 or 2002 with exercise induced asthma.. he didn't run any tests, he just said it sounded like asthma, we'd treat it, and see if it helped..

so i was thankful.. i was tired of being short of breath all the time..

since, my symptoms include, shortness of breath, tight chest and neck, wheezing coming from my chest (that goes away soon after, and eases up with clearing of throat), constant mucus dripping down my throat, it just seems i can't get rid of it, my throat will feel as if it's swelling or tightening, however i can still blow a 500-550 on my peak flow meter (i can usually blow a 550-650 or higher), and a dry but mucusy cough..

also, i can't breathe thru my nose correctly.. when i try breathing thru my nose, it seems like i'm not getting enough air, and when i try to take a deep breath thru my nose, it just wont happen..

now does this sound like typical asthma? or like it might be working in stride with something else?

Edit: i currently take 10mg singular nightly, and have an albuterol inhalor that i rarely use..

[This message has been edited by ilaugh@myself.why (edited 10-01-2003).]

[Weezygrl28]

Hi. I don't know if it's typical asthma or not, but it sounds exactly like my problem. My doc diagnosed me as EIA originally and I have trouble breathing enough air into my nose. I have also gained triggers over the past 4 yrs tho. I'm so glad I'm not the only one in this situation.

[Weezygrl28]

Sorry I forgot to finish my post. So anyways, she didn't run any test either and we just tried Maxair (equivalent to albuterol). Eventually over the past summer she added Advair which helped alot but I still have probs around triggers. I have most of the same symptoms as you also.

[ilaugh@myself.why]

really? i'm thinking of requesting some testing, in hopes that it might give me and my doctor a better idea of effective treatments for my asthma..

y'know.. i've also been putting off allergy testing.. i just can't afford it.. probly don't need it anyways..

awhile ago i was diagnosed with tonsilitis, and also told i had larger than normal sinuses and something was wrong with my deviated septum..
i suspected the deviated septum might have been hindering my breathing thru my nose, but then i found out that it's something common, and doesn't bother breathing..
i've yet to look into my large sinuses as a contributing factor.. it doesn't sound likely to me..

maybe someone will be able to help us out here tho..

-Ryan

[plm]

Several have mentioned feeling that they can't breathe well through their nose. I have just started using "Breathe Right" strips. I thought everybody had heard of them, but when I mentioned them to my sister, she never had. So maybe some people here haven't either.

If you watch football on TV, you will see a lot of the athletes with a thing that looks like a small bandaid on their nose. It is a Breathe-Right strip. It's like a semi-rigid piece of plastic the size of a small band-aid. It has adhesive on one side. You put it on your nose, right behind where your nostrils flare out. It pulls the skin upward and opens your nostrils. I've been sleeping with one on, and then leave it on in the morning until I have to leave the house.

It's amazing how much more air you can breathe in with your nose opened up like this.

They aren't too expensive. I got a box of 30 at Target for about $10.