For the past two years I have suffered with feelings of a tight chest like a pressure feeling feels constricted. I also get feeling of what I call air hunger a feeling like I'm not breathing properly. I can feel out of breath sometimes pushing toddler in buggy or reading stories to my children.
These symptoms tend to come and go for eg they can last days weeks or sometimes months at a time then I can feel normal for a while. In the last 6 months I have also had a rash on my chest the spots are always there but the redness flares up now and then it doesn't itch. I have also had random bouts of itchiness all over my body at times and itchy scalp. I have also noticed that I sometimes wheeze but usually only at night while in bed.
A year ago I saw my GP about this she thought it was anxiety (I didn't have he wheeze then) but she gave me a blue inhaler to see if it helped no tests or anything. If didn't help but to be honest I don't think I was using it properly. Anyway I'm seeing my GP (a different one) on Monday for the results of some tests and I wanted advice about what tests he should be doing to find out if this is asthma and what you think of my symptoms? This current flare has now lasted a month and I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever feel ok again have also got a cough/cold at the moment so feeling rough generally.
Edited to add: another symptom I get is pain in lung area feels tender to touch as well. I've had a chest X-ray waiting for dr to review it on Monday.
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What tests did you have done? Spirometry would be a likely starting point. ideally for diagnosis you should take a test; 3 or 4 inhaler puffs then take it again to measure impact.
I've only had a ECG and chest X Ray and blood tests so far as I didn't really go into too much detail about the potential asthma when I last saw GP as was focuses on my other issues digestive and potential auto immune condition. Will get results on Monday.
It sounds like your GP is checking various things but asthma isn't one of them yet. So to answer your original question, I'd guess that if they want to test for asthma it will be spirometry. That is a breathing test that asseses peak flow, forced expiry rates, etc. to see if they are normal for your age, height & gender. If not, as I mentioned they would normally, for diagnostic purposes, administer an inhaler to see if the readings change.
Do you think you are taking your inhaler correctly now? If so is it having any effect?
Thank you for your replies. The inhaler as givien over a year ago by my old GP so only had it a few months. With the spirometer test do you have to be having symptoms at the time of the test for it to be accurate?
I don't think so. If you are it helps, but they can also measure your breathing against what should be normal for you. If you have symptoms though, even mild, testing before & after inhaler use helps diagnose asthma.
I have been a hayfever sufferer for 50 years, and was recently diagnosed with late onset asthma. In my middle years I had a couple of instances of spots appearing on my back and swollen hands with target lesions for no apparent reason. Looking at your post, I wonder whether we are both prone to allergic reactions, even though the cause might be a bit obscure. I was also given Ventolin a few years ago and, like you, didn't think it made any difference; until, that is, I had a spirometry test at hospital which showed an almost 20% improvement in lung function! So I'd stick with it - just make sure you use it properly and it might well improve your symptoms.
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