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Don't know if I have asthma or not

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private47968
private47968

I come from an Atypical family

I am closely related to relatives that have/have had severe asthma and heart problems

I have allot of PTSD, and frequently have what is assumed to be panic attacks in which I am struggling to breathe

I get a rapid heart beat because I'm freaking out over the fact that I am struggling to breathe

My throat feels constricted at these times

Someone that I have been staying with has expressed that they believe I am experiencing panic attacks and has even outright said that I don't have asthma (they are not a qualified doctor, or a doctor at all for that matter)

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1 Reply

  • jacqline
    jacqline private47968

    Posted

    Hi there. You need a doctor to diagnose asthma. See your general PCP and discuss your symptoms. When you are short of breath (SOB) go immediately to your doc or the ER and have them examine and treat you, as necessary. The main test is simply to listen to your breathing through a stethoscope.

    Panic attacks definitely can cause SOB and are extremely terrifying. I know because I have also had panic attacks in the past that made me feel chest pain, dizzy, light-headed, like I couldn't breathe and was going to pass out. My attacks have been so severe that they even raised my blood pressure (BP). Once I had one in the oral surgeon's office (another story) and my BP soared to 200/110! Mind you, I am mildly hypertensive, so a high BP reading probably doesn't happen to most people having an anxiety or panic attack.

    But those attacks were very different from asthma, which I definitely have. In an acute asthma exacerbation, I have very loud wheezing and coughing fits. My blood oxygen also gets low, which is determined by that thing they always put on your finger. My oxygen can fall into the 80s, which is very bad. Anyway, when the ER listens to your lungs, they can tell if your airways are closing up and congested.

    I hope I have given you some insights, and you will get a real diagnosis from your doctor. 😉.

    Be well!

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