Asthma or COPD?

I have severe eosinophilic asthma. It took us two years to diagnose. I had to find a pulmonologist who is in private practice. Do you have a pulmonologist? At first when I showed up the doctor was not convinced I had asthma. All my testing was normal except a low lung volume which was not enough to prove asthma. We had to do the methacholine challenge test to prove it. Have you had that test? Also my asthma is triggered by allergies and my eosinophil count. but there are biologic injections that really help me. I get Fasenera injections every two months. There are several depending what asthma you have. Did they check your eosinophil count in your blood? I know they think you have asthma. so my journey is different but there are several different types not just a generic one.

Have you tried a nebulizer machine? It can help when your lungs feel really tight - it delivers the asthma medicine through a tube and it takes about ten minutes. It really helps me when my lungs are tight or I panic about my breathing. I have one I can use at home or take with me when I go out or travel. Some of the machines are large and heavy but you can also get a smaller portable one.

As far as COPD, it runs in my family and so does lung cancer and hat concerned me so I asked the doctor if he would test just to make sure since my uncle had COPD and he had to be on oxygen. They did a CT and tested specifically for COPD which there are specific tests and blood work they did. Have they done a CT or just an x-ray? I don't have COPD or lung cancer thankfully. but I am sharing all this to let you know to keep asking questions.

One other thing you could try is to check your oxygen levels when your lungs feel tight. You can buy an oxygen device at Walgreens or.a similar store. It is fairly cheap. It is called an oximeter maybe. You put it on your finger. It checks your pulse too. Sometimes oxygen levels only go low when your chest is tight. So even if they check it at your doctor's office unless your lungs are tight it might read normal. Just something else to consider. Hope they figure it out!

No I have not had spirometer testing, only a preliminary test into a tube. I will be following up with my doctor to get a referral as the inhalers do help a bit but not enough to make it go away and this definitely increased my fear that something more serious is going on. The symptoms phlegm seems to be almost gone at moments, and then other moments fills up, and seems to move up to my throat. Ultimately, looks like I am just going to need further investigation and testing.

Second on Azelastine and Flonase and daily sinus rinses (i will up to 3-4 times) if phlegm starts building up more in the back of my throat. I mentioned in my previous posts, i add budesonide liquid to netty pot. Need to keep phlegm under control is golden for any breathing problems 🙂

My husband is a big believer in sinus rinses but I haven’t been able to do it. Any tips for learning how?

It really really helps to control asthma ! There are different types and you just need to find one that you will enjoy using. For example my husband tried squeeze bottle version and it hurted his ears badly, he gave up right away and uses flonase. I end up with
Himalayan Chandra ECO Neti Pot Complete Sinus Cleansing System Starter Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002K6459O/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_093THJX0JJJ587S1TGAW
and i like it because i can control the flow with the head tilt. The instructions are included. Good luck, i would be curious to know which one you end up with. The min i feel phlegm in the back of my throat, i up my rinses. Yes still get asthma symptoms, but not as severe. There multiple articles on sinus health that directly correlates with asthma control, one of multifaceted approaches to keep us thriving.

My husband is a big believer in sinus rinses but I haven’t been able to do it. Any tips for learning how?