I am overweight and have been for years but never have a issue with physical work previously
I have had asthma since I was 7 years old
In December 2021 I found myself getting breathless doing basic tasks like walking up stairs . I use to walk 6 miles 2-3 times a week but found it reduced to 1miles and that required a sit down on route
I was in hospital in May 22 and diagnosed with AF as my pulse was 172 and I spent 6 days in there
I still get breathless and I still struggle to walk a mile without a sit down
I have had 2 echo test and the heart structure and function is fine I also had a mri
Does anyone know what further test I could have only it’s restricting my life . I am told my lungs are fine after a x Ray but it feels like I’m not pulling in enough oxygen compared with what my body needs to do things anywhere near what I previously did .
The hospital do not seem to have any concerns about my heart other than the AF
The GP are just treating it as asthma but I can’t help but think this is something else
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NLGA
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Do you have your own peak flow piece of kit NLGA..??? You can keep a record of record 3 puffs each morning and 3 puffs each evening via a free app called PEFLog. It truly is excellent - and my asthma nurse - and hospital consultant found it very useful.
(The picture is of inhaler in the colour orange - or - almost a bright sunset sky)
You may well be underestimating the effect that asthma can have on you. I spent three years as a cardiac outpatient until they realised it was asthma. By then I was pretty done in.
So I would be thinking you need a referral to respiratory at the hospital and have the full range of initial lung tests. So spirometry, feno, blood test, xray for respiratory etc.
Have a chat with the asthma nurses at Asthma UK on 0300 2225800, office hours, to work out what to ask for.
Agreed. My biggest learning curve since diagnosis has been how big an impact asthma has on me. It only takes a tiny shift in diet, atmosphere or stress levels and I suddenly find myself struggling.
Also, OP, you mention that you have been overweight for a long time, but has your weight increased at all in the past couple of years? I've noticed that I have a very narrow margin between 'overweight but managing fine' and 'overweight and feeling the impact on my breathing' - it only takes a couple of extra pounds for me to start noticing the difference, so even a tiny weight gain could be having an impact.
Park 1 has made good comments, the asthma may not be being managed appropriately or effectively - GP need to refer to respiratory if you’re not under them currently.
You say you were in hospital- AF, are you under the Electrophysiologist or ask to be referred. If you are, ask for appointments brought forward if you’re waiting.
Do you perhaps have a friend who would help motivate you with weight loss? This puts extra strain on your heart & lungs. With AF stroke is already a risk but, with the weight that risk increases. Hope things get sorted for you in the New Year
Some good comments here. The nurse helpline reopens on Thursday 2nd Jan so worth giving them a call then.
I would also say that asthma itself, not just the medications, can increase your heart rate, which may not be helping with AF. That particular effect of asthma isn't always well understood, I've found. I used to have a high heart rate with very little exertion almost all the time and be completely exhausted, when I had asthma but it wasn't acknowledged or properly treated. These days, although I have more severe attacks at times than I did then, I'm better day-to-day more of the time because I have better medication, I'm not exhausted all the time, and my heart rate isn't constantly high (but it can get to impressive levels during attacks - 170-180 sitting still once or twice! Yes, some of that was the medication I needed, but not all). I do still notice when my asthma isn't behaving, because I'm suddenly much more easily tired by less physical effort.
An X-ray isn't the best test for asthma - you can have a normal chest X-ray and still have asthma. It's often needed to rule out other lung issues but shouldn't be used to rule out asthma. I agree with other comments that you should perhaps get asthma-specific tests, but asthma can be tricky because it's variable - if you're feeling ok your spirometry can be ok, and FENO is only raised some of the time, in some people with asthma.
I do think it's worth getting the tests though. It just may be a process, because there isn't a single test you can do at any time that's absolutely 100% accurate and conclusive for asthma 100% of the time.
It's also worth thinking about and making a note of when your symptoms are worse. eg at night, in the morning, when the air is cold/hot/changing between the two, what times of the year, at work vs not at work, around perfume etc etc. All that can help build a picture of what's going on, and of your triggers if it is asthma. It can also help to have a record to show the doctors, especially if you are referred.
Interesting post for me as the same thing- unexplained breathlessness - began to happen to me a year and a half ago. I’ve had asthma for sixty odd years so I know very well what it feels like - and this really didn’t feel like asthma. I’m not overweight (BMI of just under 20 most of the time) but my asthma is known to have an exercise induced element.
To cut a long story short it turned out that, very unexpectedly, I had developed subclinical hypothyroidism and had also developed bradycardia (abnormally low resting heart rate). Further checks on blood result tests in the past revealed that I had been very high though still within the given reference range for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) for over a decade but was never told there might be a developing problem until I was found to have slipped out of it sixteen months ago. I’ve been consistently out of range since. I was put on a very low trial dose of levothyroxine around twelve weeks ago to see if that might help to stabilise things and am now being monitored regularly to see how things are going.
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