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Diagnosed With Weak Lungs And Put On Ventolin. Suggest?

Posted on Wed, 23 Oct 2013

Question: hi. I've been diagnosed with weak lungs and put on ventolin by my family doctor. should I ask him to refer me to a lung specialist?

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (13 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Tell me the symptoms first.

Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXX,
Thanks for your query,
Weak lung is a vague term and I am not able to understand what your physician meant to say.
Will you provide me your detailed query constituting:
1) your clinical symptoms pertaining to lungs like breathlessness, cough, chest pain, weight loss, known allergies etc.
2) was ventorlin benefiting you.

Waiting for your reply...

Dr Satyadeo Choubey

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (2 hours later)

well he listened to my lungs and then said I've weak lungs. yes I do cough, sometimes I get chest pain in the cold weather but only sometimes (doesn't happen a lot. I've no known allergies. my mom says when I was little a pediatrician told her the samething but he didn't prescribe any medication, he told my mom to have me inhale the mist in the shower everytime I catch a cold. something like that.

but i'm now 30 years old I still have weak lungs. I didn't know it until last year an allergist told me but I wasn't put on ventolin until a month ago. I was prescribed ventolin couple of years ago but I didn't use it cause I thought its for asthma only and I was sure I didn't have asthma. but maybe I have a mild asthma.
and yes the ventolin helps. I've been taking it for the past one month as needed and it helps.

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (14 minutes later)

Brief Answer: XXXXXXX a chest specialist

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for follow up,
Ventorlin is a drug which dilates the constricted wind pipe, thus relaxing the breath. It usually happens in asthma which is relatively controllable and curable now.
I think you must XXXXXXX a chest specialist who will do a simple breathing test called pulmonary function test (PFT) to get an idea whether you have asthma or not.
Don't be panic asthma is not a dreaded disease and inhalers which are prescribed contain very minute quantity of drug which go to its site of action only that is lungs.
Yes, it becomes worse and difficult to control if treatment is delayed..... so XXXXXXX a chest specialist...

Best wishes

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (3 minutes later)

but years ago I was tested for asthma buy a chest specialist. turned I didn't have one. I think I've reactive airways disease. which is a mild asthma right? should I see a chest specialist for RAD? or would my family doctor be good enough?

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
better XXXXXXX chest specialist

Detailed Answer:
Better get a PFT done and if negative go for a test called bronchoprovocation test which is again a breathing based test and if normal rules out asthma.
I think you must XXXXXXX a chest specialist which are specialized in asthma diagnosis and treatment.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (2 minutes later)

what causes RAD? I think I was born with it. is it possible to be born with RAD?

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (2 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
yes its possible

Detailed Answer:
It may be possible. Some genetic factors predispose to condition and if exposed to environmental irritants manifest the disease. But precisely which gene causes it, is not known..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (13 minutes later)

I think I was born with it. I've always found breathing harder than people around me. and my mom says when I was little a pediatrician diagnosed me with it after listening to my lungs but he called it weak lungs rather than RAD and I think by weak lungs he was referring to RAD and told my mom to have me inhale the mist in the shower according to her. but I think I was born with it. cause I've always had some difficulty breathing. but I've no known allergies. I saw an allergies a year ago and he only found sensitivities in me but not allergies.

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (2 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
sensitiveness is a kind of allergy

Detailed Answer:
20% of asthma may be without allergy. Allergy to a particular stuff can only be proved by allergic testing based on history. What you are calling sensitiveness may be in proper term, a kind of allergy.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (3 minutes later)

well the allergist said I only have sensitivities and not an allergy. he said allergy is stronger. he said they wouldn't say that I'm allergic to any of the things he tested me for.

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (1 minute later)

Brief Answer:
asthma can be without allergy too

Detailed Answer:
WEll intensities may be not too much. but as I said asthma can be without allergy also in 20% of cases

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (7 minutes later)

so you still think that I should see a chest specialist even if its just RAD and not asthma right?
right now i'm under the care of my family doctor for this but I don't know if a family doctor is good enough for this.

Answered by Dr. Satyadeo Choubey (1 minute later)

Brief Answer:
yes

Detailed Answer:
Again my answer is a big yes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar