Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Can asthma just show up after 40 years?
Answered by
CO
This forum is for questions and support regarding lung and respiratory issues such as: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds - Flu, Chronic Cough, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema, Fibrosis, Lung Abscess, Nasal Polyps, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Sarcoidosis, Sinusitis, Tuberculosis
 |
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish Health, Nov 07, 2008 05:17PM
, Nov 07, 2008 05:17PM
Asthma is a condition that can be present in the lungs, without causing symptoms or noticeable signs. An individual who fits this description and that person's doctor might not realize that the person has asthma. Infection can precipitate an asthma attack in any person with the condition and that is what may have happened here. It is usually a viral infection and clears spontaneously, fairly quickly, but the asthma symptoms may linger for weeks to months. The treatment is with Advair or like medicines.
Your symptoms will eventually resolve and, when that occurs, your cough and wheeze will subside, either completely or nearly so. At that time you may or may not have clinical asthma; may or may not require daily medicine for it.
In essence, you may have had occult or asthma that was not apparent and the infection brought it to the surface.
In the future you may have recurrences only with respiratory infections.
Your symptoms will eventually resolve and, when that occurs, your cough and wheeze will subside, either completely or nearly so. At that time you may or may not have clinical asthma; may or may not require daily medicine for it.
In essence, you may have had occult or asthma that was not apparent and the infection brought it to the surface.
In the future you may have recurrences only with respiratory infections.
My biggest concern for you is your oxygen level. Have you been checked with a portable pulse oximeter? Make sure that you get up and move around and even climb a flight of stairs to evaluate if you are having any low oxygen levels. If your blood oxygen saturation is below 92% at any point, including sleeping, you may be dealing with heart failure. It is safe to say, if you are experiencing low oxygen levels you need to treat them with supplemental oxygen, or you WILL be dealing with congestive heart failure.
Now remember, heart failure is diagnosed when your doctor sees that your heart is enlarged on x-ray. Take action immediately to address the possibility that you have received a WRONG diagnosis. Time is of the essence to protect your quality of life.
Come by Heart Failure Solutions and do some reading, you will be more knowledgeable the next time you talk to your doctor.
Be well,
Many blessings.
There is one test your doctor can order to confirm asthma and that test is know as methacholine challenge test it’s considered the golden standard for confirming asthma. If you have any doubts you may want to ask about this.
I hope this helps and good luck.