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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Having Tiredness, Shortness Of Breath While Climbing Stairs. Had Bronchoscopies Previously. Have Asthma. Solution For Breath Shortness?

My legs get really tired and I am short of breath just going up 2 flights of stairs. I am 35, a former smoker (quit 2 years ago) and am in relatively good shape. I run, bike and elliptical. I have recurrent mucus congestion in my left lung and have had 2 bronchoscopies to clean it out. I have 2-2.2 second pauses on Holter when I sleep recently. I generally do my workouts without any trouble. I ve had an ECHO with an EF of 60%, negative exercise stress test and negative BNP. I do have cough variant asthma since about 3 years ago. Since having the Swine Flu in 2009, my exercise tolerance has dramatically decreased. I avoid stairs in most cases, because they make me so SOB and my legs just get too tired.
Wed, 5 Dec 2012
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Pulmonologist,  's  Response
Hi

Thanks for your query.

You have to follow the following steps-

1. First you have to confirm whether you have asthma or COPD. For that you need to undergo spirometric testing with reversibility. If there is obstructive pattern with reversibility then you have asthma and if there is only obstructive changes with no reversibility then you have COPD
2. Secondly you have to assess the control of your asthma or COPD symptoms based on symptoms, asthma control test (ACT) , COPD assessment test (CAT).
3. IF you have uncontrolled situation then you need to step up your persisting therapy to acheive the necessary control.
4. You never ever start smoking. You have to maintain smoking cessation.
5. You may take influenza and pneumococcal vaccination to decrease the exacerbation rate.
6. You may undergo pulmonary rehabilitation programme to increase your exercise tolerence and reduce the morbidity.

All you can get after consulting a good pulmonologist.

I think my informations will be of great help to you.

If you have further queries you can write back to me.

Thank you.
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Having Tiredness, Shortness Of Breath While Climbing Stairs. Had Bronchoscopies Previously. Have Asthma. Solution For Breath Shortness?

Hi Thanks for your query. You have to follow the following steps- 1. First you have to confirm whether you have asthma or COPD. For that you need to undergo spirometric testing with reversibility. If there is obstructive pattern with reversibility then you have asthma and if there is only obstructive changes with no reversibility then you have COPD 2. Secondly you have to assess the control of your asthma or COPD symptoms based on symptoms, asthma control test (ACT) , COPD assessment test (CAT). 3. IF you have uncontrolled situation then you need to step up your persisting therapy to acheive the necessary control. 4. You never ever start smoking. You have to maintain smoking cessation. 5. You may take influenza and pneumococcal vaccination to decrease the exacerbation rate. 6. You may undergo pulmonary rehabilitation programme to increase your exercise tolerence and reduce the morbidity. All you can get after consulting a good pulmonologist. I think my informations will be of great help to you. If you have further queries you can write back to me. Thank you.