My Asthma Story
I have asthma and I've had it since I was a child. I constantly stayed in and out of the hospital all my life, getting pneumonia and bronchitis multiple times over the years. Then in 2019, when my meds were no longer working for me, I was experiencing chest tightening and chest pressure. I went to a MD and she did all kinds of tests but couldn't find the cause of it. She referred me to a lung specialist, they ordered an x-ray and on the day of my appointment, I checked in and he sat down to load the CT scan results. As he is looking at the x-ray, he shows me an area of my lung that is scarred and then asked me if I get sick a lot. I said yes, I had pneumonia and bronchitis all throughout my entire life. He says that is the reason your right middle lobe is scarred in that area. So now I see a lung specialist and an asthma specialist every 3-6 months just to keep in check with my lung health. I'm still having a hard time especially with flare ups and colds.
I have a few questions for all who suffers with asthma:
Do you get tired a lot? Even if it's just doing small cleaning up?
Do any of y'all have another lung disease besides asthma? I Have asthma and bronchiectasis.
Do you get a cough that causes your chest to burn?
Do you get a headache that's really bad due to the coughing and chest pain?
- you've asked some very important questions. I hope some members log on and offer up their experiences dealing with asthma. It sounds like you've been through a lot in terms of respiratory illnesses, and, understandably, you're facing challenges, especially with asthma flare-ups and frequent colds and infections. By seeing both a lung specialist and an asthma specialist regularly, you are taking a proactive approach to managing your lung health; it's imperative to remain in close communication with your health team about any changes or difficulties you're experiencing. Dealing with asthma flare-ups and frequent colds and infections can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally. Exhaustion is shared by many in the asthma community. Clicking this link, https://asthma.net/living/spoons , takes you to an article with a more in-depth discussion on feeling forever tired and exhausted.
Living with multiple lung conditions like asthma and bronchiectasis can present unique challenges, as both conditions can impact respiratory health in different ways. Having both asthma and bronchiectasis as comorbidities means it's essential to work closely with your healthcare team to manage both conditions effectively. Treatment may involve a combination of medications, airway clearance techniques, and lifestyle adjustments tailored to address the specific needs of each condition. I'm sure many will chime in on their experiences with comorbidities and how they tackle them.
I think your third question is a bit more individualized, per se, for those managing asthma. It's essential to address the underlying asthma symptoms and the associated cough to find relief and improve your quality of life. The burning sensation in your chest may be a result of inflammation and irritation of the airways caused by asthma-related coughing. This article, https://asthma.net/living/after-being-symptom-free-for-three-years-i-had-one-of-the-worst-episodes-of-my-life , shines a light on the struggle one of our team members has gone through relating to a burning chest.
As we wait for others to sound in and bring up their ventures with asthma, cough and burn, and troublesome comorbidities, as well as headaches associated to it, here is another article I want to share that may explain the connection between asthma and headaches, written by one of our top team leaders and respirator therapist, John Botrell, RRT - https://asthma.net/living/links-asthma-headache I hope after reading these articles you find you have a little more knowledge of your asthma. As we well know, asthma is an extremely complicated chronic illness and not easy to treat. Your proactive approach of posting a forum and asking questions is a wonderful start. With regards, Rebecca (team member)
