Asthma and other Lung diseases?

Question

I was diagonsed with asthma about two years ago, I am presently on advair and albuterol inhaliers. I have been a smoker for about 34 years and had cronic broncitis for 20 years. I bring up yellow phlem constantly and have trouble breathing so I find myself using the albuterol 3 or 4 times a week. I have told my doctor about all these symptoms but he just increases my dosages. Isn't there a test to tell wether this is truly asthma, and not copd or emphysema. I feel my doctor is wrong.

Answer 1

I was diagnosed with Emphysema in December and I have had Bronchitis all my life and get Phenomia all the time, The test they did on me was a computer print out from a spirometer, not sure if I spelled that right but that is how they found why I get so sick so often. Ask your Doctor about this test. I went to the Library immediately and read books on this disease to educate myself on the road ahead, if you are doubting your Doctor that is coming from your Gut and you need to listen to your inner self, it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion go to a specialists of Pulmonary would be my advice if you have these doubts. Asthma is curable Emphysema is not there is a difference and the treatment is different in the different stages.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Bronchitis means you have an infection in your lungs. For bronchitis doctors prescribe antibiotics. I am not sure with chronic bronchitis if it will come back or not after a treatment with antibiotics or how long a person can be on antibiotics. Combivent inhaler is prescribed for copd because it has two medicines that are mixed togeather specifically for copd. To find out or not for sure if you have asthma a pumonoligist will give you a lung test with some kind of inhalent thats supposed to trigger an asthma attack, or they do a lung test before and after you inhale albuterol. Your doctor should have done a lung x-ray on you, because that is standard practice. To make a diagnosis of asthma it is standard practice to order a lung x-ray and pulminary tests. If you want know for sure wheather or not it is truly asthma you need to see a pulmonlogists because they specialize in diagnosing lung diseases.

Answer 4

I was diagnosed at 16 with a lung disease myself! I am now hitting 31 years old. At year age it was a lot easier to be active. I'm actually facing the same challenge except mostly due to the progression of the illness and age. =) First congrats on staying active with such a struggle you have to deal with. Keeping your lungs strong will benefit you now and in the future. I recommend using an "abs ball." I love my abs ball it's from Gaiam, weighs 8 lbs, and has helped me stay toned. I use this every single day! It isn't too hard on my lungs. Make sure that your doctor is testing your oxygen level while active. Mines would drop and now I can use an oxygen compressor at home while I use the treadmill for jogging. I also recommend doing a Pilates video at home. Goodluck!

Answer 5

well asthma is actually cosidered COPD -- the only way to differentiate asthma and emphysema is to have a pulmonary function test done to you.
been smoking 34 years? here's how to calcuate pack years

number of packs a day X years smoking

if you have exceeded 25 pack years, your risk of developing a smoke-related disease is very very high, and this is irreversible (cannot be cured). if you quit smoking, it may not cure the disease, but it will PREVENT further problems. if you've been suffering alread, if you keep smoking -- it WILL get worse.

maybe the reason why the doctor would not do any further test in you is because you don't want to quit smoking. what is the therapy for if you don't have the willpower to stop? with smoking, every therapy that the doctor advises will just go down the drain. so it's really up to you if you want to quit or not.

however, sometimes for severely ill patients (respiratory diseases) doctors send these people to the pulmonary rehab to help them with their activities -- how to conserve their energy and how to increase tolerance for the disease. you have to prove that you are a good candidate for pulmonary rehab, so that means you have to have 100% dedication to it, and quit smoking.

Answer 6

Mucous with any color to it suggests infection.I would get another doctor's opinion. You might need antibiotics.
Have a pulmonary function test performed to see what your oxygen levels are and what your vital capacity is(the amount of air you can draw into your lungs in one breath).
Also, of course you know that stopping smoking is SO important.

After these tests, do the following things daily:

Lying down, cup your hand and tap forcefully on your ribs for 5 mins on each side. It's called chest percussion, and it is very useful in getting up mucous.

Drink lots of water to keep mucous thin and easy to cough up.

Do what is called "pursed lip breathing" throughout the day. Put your lips together and blow the air out slowly like you are trying to blow out a candle that won't go out easily. This type of breathing keeps the sacs in your lungs from being stuck together by mucous. You can do it also by singing a lot! Or by using a breathing device called a C-pap.

Ask your new doctor if you might benefit by the use of a C-Pap.
Best wishes to you.

Answer 7

If you are still smoking the doctors will probably write you off .
You must help yourself be for others can help you.
You sound like you have a bronchial tub that may be letting phylum in and not letting it out as easy.have you ever cough hard and got a mouth full of phlegm?
being yellow might be because of nicotine in the lungs that takes a long time to clear out .

Ask for a sleep study if your country has them .You may benefit from a C-Pap machine .
I sure did .
definitely get a second opinion.
Good luck and God bless you .
I hope something in here helps Do get a second opinion

Answer 8

As an asthma sufferer, first, let me ask you this......is your doctor a regular md or a lung specialist?
Do you take the advair every day? Do you have post nasal drip?
Sounds like if you have post nasal drip, it's going to your bronchial tubes and coming up as yellow phlegm.
Use your advair every day (I use serevent every day) but I also take a steroid (pulmacort) every day too. Sounds like you need something like pulmacort to get the swelling in your tubes down so the phlegm is not stuck in there.
There is also oral medication too. I suggest you see a specialist for this.....they can get it under control, there is no need for y ou to be using albuterol that often! I have that too, but that is my "rescue" inhaler for when there is a flair up on occasion.
Can you quit smoking or cut back? Once I quit I felt better too.
Good luck, feel better.

Answer 9

My brother is an asthmatic and after ten years his asthma has shown no sign of improving. He has been to several doctors but they didn't help much.

If you want a proven, all-natural way to cure your asthma, without having to pay for useless medications with harmful side-effects, then this is the most important page you'll ever read.

Answer 10

firstly copd is asthma and is serious. You can ask your doctor to send you to your nearest hospital for a lung function test and a fitness test to accertain if your breathing difficulties are made wose by exersize, your doctor is probably right but you are entitled to a second oppinion no matter what and your doctor can be held acountable if the don't reffer you for a second oppinion or for tests so stick up for youself and make a point of telling your doctor what you want to happen rather than him/her telling you