I just got back from my Pulmonologist, Dr. Hogue, who felt that I may have asthma. She also diagnosed post-nasal drip which I never noticed before. I'm sure if I noticed this when I was hospitalized, and mentioned it to the Hospitalist, he would've said that this is from anxiety, even though there're no signs or symptoms in any anxiety disorders that include post-nasal drip.
Further I'm sure he would've glossed over the fact that there's been unusually high pollen count these past weeks, and the fact that I'm prone to environmental allergies such as dust mite. Especially since my pulse ox was at an "abnormally" high 99% (which almost everyone has).
Dr. Hogue noticed possible wheezing in my lungs upon forced expiration, though it's hard to tease out since wheezing can also come from the trachea (neck region). Sadly, the Pulmonary Function Tests with Methacholine Challenge can't be scheduled until a month from now to make the definitive diagnosis.
Even so, she did note that adult asthma sufferers can have primary symptoms with chest tightness, and not so much with cough and wheezing. So if you don't really need wheezing and cough symptoms with asthma, it does feel like I might have it.
Dr. Hogue gave me a spacer which is supposed to help deliver Albuterol more effectively, but I'm still not sure if it's quite working, since I still have chest tightness and shortness of breath, which might necessitate steroid inhalers.
The How of Hapiness Review
Further I'm sure he would've glossed over the fact that there's been unusually high pollen count these past weeks, and the fact that I'm prone to environmental allergies such as dust mite. Especially since my pulse ox was at an "abnormally" high 99% (which almost everyone has).
Dr. Hogue noticed possible wheezing in my lungs upon forced expiration, though it's hard to tease out since wheezing can also come from the trachea (neck region). Sadly, the Pulmonary Function Tests with Methacholine Challenge can't be scheduled until a month from now to make the definitive diagnosis.
Even so, she did note that adult asthma sufferers can have primary symptoms with chest tightness, and not so much with cough and wheezing. So if you don't really need wheezing and cough symptoms with asthma, it does feel like I might have it.
Dr. Hogue gave me a spacer which is supposed to help deliver Albuterol more effectively, but I'm still not sure if it's quite working, since I still have chest tightness and shortness of breath, which might necessitate steroid inhalers.
The How of Hapiness Review
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