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I Have A Low Lung Capacity And Mild Asthma Discovered
Question: I have a low lung capacity and mild asthma discovered through spirometry. I want to further investigate the low lung capacity, not sure how to approach this.
Brief Answer:
Asthma may itself cause low lung capacity
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to Ask A Doctor service.
Asthma may itself cause low lung capacity.
Restrictive lung disease may lower lung capacity and its cause could be in lung (internal) or in surrounding musculoskeletal (external). To find external cause chest X-Ray PA view and lateral view can be done to see any changes in skeletal system. If you want to find any restrictive lung diseases in lungs like interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, medicine induced or toxin induced lung damage, etc, then you can proceed with further testing like CT scan and DLCO.
A pulmonologist maybe consulted for same.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Dr Vaishalee
Asthma may itself cause low lung capacity
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to Ask A Doctor service.
Asthma may itself cause low lung capacity.
Restrictive lung disease may lower lung capacity and its cause could be in lung (internal) or in surrounding musculoskeletal (external). To find external cause chest X-Ray PA view and lateral view can be done to see any changes in skeletal system. If you want to find any restrictive lung diseases in lungs like interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, medicine induced or toxin induced lung damage, etc, then you can proceed with further testing like CT scan and DLCO.
A pulmonologist maybe consulted for same.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Dr Vaishalee
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Hi Vaishalee,
Thanks for your response.
According to the spirometry I had a few years back the asthma is mild. I have only needed to use my inhaler whenever I start to get sick and get a cough- because my cough gets very aggressive- I am using all my stomach and chest muscles when I cough and start gagging every time I cough and get issues with breathing. The inhaler helps me to cough more 'normally'. Years ago I had a bacterial lung infection and a bacterial chest infection the following year. Before this I never needed to use an inhaler and I did not have breathing problems. The bacterial lung infection may have been caused by exposure to polluted air in a carpark, since I was coughing immediately after exposed and started getting sick the next day with the lung infection- could this possibly have caused toxin-induced lung/airway damage? What is the best test to check for this x-ray, CT or MRI scan?
Thanks for your response.
According to the spirometry I had a few years back the asthma is mild. I have only needed to use my inhaler whenever I start to get sick and get a cough- because my cough gets very aggressive- I am using all my stomach and chest muscles when I cough and start gagging every time I cough and get issues with breathing. The inhaler helps me to cough more 'normally'. Years ago I had a bacterial lung infection and a bacterial chest infection the following year. Before this I never needed to use an inhaler and I did not have breathing problems. The bacterial lung infection may have been caused by exposure to polluted air in a carpark, since I was coughing immediately after exposed and started getting sick the next day with the lung infection- could this possibly have caused toxin-induced lung/airway damage? What is the best test to check for this x-ray, CT or MRI scan?
Brief Answer:
Yes the exposure could have caused lung injury
Detailed Answer:
Hi again
Yes air pollution like the one you mentioned can cause such injury. It may take a few years to recover.
Having a history of exposure to polluted air and suffering lung problems thereafter is good enough to establish a diagnosis. Chest X-Ray gives quite a clear picture of inflammation in lungs and lymph nodes. Arterial blood gas analysis is also needed. If we want to see inflamed tissue and fibrosis of such a tissue on long term, computed tomography can be done.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further doubts.
Dr Vaishalee
Yes the exposure could have caused lung injury
Detailed Answer:
Hi again
Yes air pollution like the one you mentioned can cause such injury. It may take a few years to recover.
Having a history of exposure to polluted air and suffering lung problems thereafter is good enough to establish a diagnosis. Chest X-Ray gives quite a clear picture of inflammation in lungs and lymph nodes. Arterial blood gas analysis is also needed. If we want to see inflamed tissue and fibrosis of such a tissue on long term, computed tomography can be done.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further doubts.
Dr Vaishalee
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Thank you very much.
I'm pretty sure the current damage is permanent, even though I had the first spirometry a few years back, the major infections were before that. My doc is hopeless and had no interest in investigating my complaints of breathing problems following my infections and didn't care to investigate further in regard to low lung capacity from the spirometry. I believe it has caused a lot of other problems with my health over the years. It had even impacted my ability when searching for employment recently cause I haven't been passed on a med exam to get a job due to failed spirometry. I am seeing a different local doctor tomorrow about this, hopefully I will be listened to.
You have been very helpful and your help has given me some guidance to raise this issue for my appointment tomorrow. Thank you.
I'm pretty sure the current damage is permanent, even though I had the first spirometry a few years back, the major infections were before that. My doc is hopeless and had no interest in investigating my complaints of breathing problems following my infections and didn't care to investigate further in regard to low lung capacity from the spirometry. I believe it has caused a lot of other problems with my health over the years. It had even impacted my ability when searching for employment recently cause I haven't been passed on a med exam to get a job due to failed spirometry. I am seeing a different local doctor tomorrow about this, hopefully I will be listened to.
You have been very helpful and your help has given me some guidance to raise this issue for my appointment tomorrow. Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Breathing exercises needed
Detailed Answer:
Hi again
I will suggest that you see a doctor who has experience with respiratory problems maybe a pulmonologist.
Fibrosis is irreversible but if it is an inflammation then you need to avoid the air pollution in future including pets and aerosols. So before your next visit, please figure out the pollutants that you are still getting exposed to.
Hypersensitivities may develop as a result of ongoing exposures.
Breathing techniques like nadi shidhan pranayam can help with breathing capacity.
Regards
Dr Vaishalee
Breathing exercises needed
Detailed Answer:
Hi again
I will suggest that you see a doctor who has experience with respiratory problems maybe a pulmonologist.
Fibrosis is irreversible but if it is an inflammation then you need to avoid the air pollution in future including pets and aerosols. So before your next visit, please figure out the pollutants that you are still getting exposed to.
Hypersensitivities may develop as a result of ongoing exposures.
Breathing techniques like nadi shidhan pranayam can help with breathing capacity.
Regards
Dr Vaishalee
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Ok thanks for your advice.
Brief Answer:
Thanks
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for consulting me online
Regards
Dr Vaishalee
Thanks
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for consulting me online
Regards
Dr Vaishalee
Note: For further information on diet changes to reduce allergy symptoms or to boost your immunity, Ask here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
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