What I Wish My Doctors Knew About Asthma
Treating someone with an asthma diagnosis can be very convoluted, and even the best doctors do not always completely understand it, unless they are, perhaps, a pulmonologist. But not even all pulmonologists are well versed in some of the more unusual aspects of asthma. Here are the top 3 things I wish all doctors, including pulmonologists, know about working with patients who have asthma.
Not all asthma wheezes
I have very bad asthma, but strangely enough, I am not really one to wheeze. I never have. According to an article from Medscape, “Asthma can occur without wheezing when obstruction involves predominantly the small airways. Thus, wheezing is not necessary for the diagnosis of asthma.” This is me. Most of the time, when I have an asthma attack, the doctor will listen to my lungs and say, “well, you’re not wheezing” or “your lungs sound perfectly clear.” I have found that many doctors do not believe I actually have asthma because I do not wheeze, and I think it is crucially important that more doctors understand that not all asthma wheezes. I know it would make my life a lot easier. 1
Asthma is not anxiety
I cannot even begin to tell you the number of times I have gone to the doctor or emergency room (ER) with an asthma exacerbation and the doctors assume that I just have anxiety. Because of the lack of understanding that not all asthma wheezes, doctors tend to assume that since I am not wheezing, I am just stressed and anxious.
This frustrates me to no end. That, coupled with the fact that I have trouble speaking sometimes (see Poor Unfortunate Soul), I am labeled as having anxiety. There is one doctor at my local ER who adamantly does not believe that I have asthma, even though she has had lengthy conversations with my pulmonologist. This doctor barely comes in to see me before quipping, "She just has anxiety." If only I had a penny!
But asthma can cause anxiety, and anxiety can make asthma worse. It is a cycle that can lead to worsening asthma, but if the doctor does not understand the cycle, then the cycle does not exist and it’s just anxiety. Insert rolling eyes emoji here.
Asthma affects every aspect of life
Just like the kid in the movie, who takes one puff of his inhaler and is suddenly fine, some doctors do not understand the extent to which asthma can affect so many aspects of life. It is not just about controlling symptoms with medications, it is lifestyle modifications to avoid triggers, always having rescue medications on hand, and the daily struggle to cope with ever-present symptoms.
I don't know about you, but I’m constantly aware of my asthma and ready to fight whatever symptoms may arise. I really wish more doctors would understand the all-encompassing aspect of having an asthma diagnosis and not just see it as another box to check off when doing a medical history.
What else do we wish doctors knew about asthma?
These are just a few of the things I wish more doctors understood about asthma. I could go on and on about most of these points, but if you have asthma, you are probably well aware of these pitfalls yourself.
What are some of the things you wish more doctors knew about asthma? Let us know in the comments!
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