Oxygen Level
At 81 and having asthma since childhood, I read an article recently saying that asthma and shortness of breath does not affect your oxygen level. It went on to explain why but boiled down to its not about getting the air in, it’s about getting it out so you can get more in.
Then why did everyone in the medical field always tell me when I felt I was suffocating that the good news was “your oxygen level is good." It always made me feel they were really saying "you're only imagining it! Great oxygen level and no wheezing means there is nothing wrong with you." This was big for me!! Why after all these years was I made to feel like I wasn’t really sick?
Hi hear you dreiter, loud and clear!
There are doctors who are trained in pulmonary medicine who understand the concept of asthma not really being a disease of oxygenation. Sadly, they don't seem to be the ones who provided your care!
As you pointed out, asthma is a disease in which the 'obstruction' occurs during the exhalation phase of breathing. This actually does mean (as you surmised), that getting the air 'in' (inhalation), is not where the issue is. The issue occurs during exhalation, when the sensitive, bronchospastic airways keep one from exhaling properly.
It is improper for a clinician to only assess an asthmatic through oxygenation levels and wheezing. Not all asthmatics wheeze, and most asthmatics do not have problems oxygenating and yet, they require treatment to break the bronchospasm that can be associated with this disease. This is where doctors should direct their attention for treatment.
I am so sorry you were made to feel this way through all the years!
If there is anything we can assist you with, please let me or any other moderator know.
Thanks for your post and expressing your concerns - we appreciate them.
All the best,
Leon (site moderator asthma.net)
Thank you for sharing your story! Obviously Leon will have a more educated way of explaining since he is a RRT but I can relate to your story as well from a patient's perspective. I have had numerous experiences where I was not taken seriously despite being in the midst of a flare because my oxygen levels were "normal" - I have only desatted majorly when I was having a very severe attack. I get the wheezing thing too; I think one of the best things I have heard from a provider is how "not all asthma is wheezing and not all wheezing is asthma." I personally don't wheeze much at all, so it takes a lot of additional advocating on my part to make sure doctors are listening to me and my symptoms. I'm sorry you are going through this and hope you can find some providers who are more well-rounded in their knowledge on asthma. Wishing you the best! -Corinne, moderator
