Pseudomonas and COPD?

[Mclyn]

I have been having a persistant cough since moving into a dirty mouldy house. Back and forth to Drs but no previous chest problems except for Legionaries Disease in 1983 and as I am a non smoker, I was with diagnosed with post nasal drip, then asthma and following a Spirometry test,COPD, how did that happen!

I have seen a copy of the referral letter and although I was told my sputum test was clear, it says I have + - pseudomonas could I simply just have an infection? I had major spinal surgery in December 2014 thanks for listening.

[Hidden]

Hello Mclyn, welcome to the forum. Have you seen a chest consultant recently? If not I think you should ask your GP to refer you to one straightaway. A few thoughts:

1. The fact you've had this cough since moving into a mouldy house could be significant. You need to have some tests to check whether mould spores could be causing the cough. If so, you will need anti-fungal treatment.

2. I don't think it's good enough for your GP to tell you, a non-smoker, that you have COPD, without investigating this further. He needs to be asking "why?" because as I'm sure you know, the majority of people with COPD are smokers or ex-smokers. Yes there are other causes eg industrial pollution. There is also something called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. So, given that COPD is unusual in a non-smoker, your GP should be doing something to establish the cause so you can get the best treatment. But bear in mind that GPs quite often seem to diagnose COPD incorrectly. Perhaps it's not that at all.

3. If the sputum test was clear, why is pseudomonas mentioned on it? Pseudomonas is a very nasty infection which needs prompt and aggressive treatment if it gets in the lungs. Ask your GP why it's mentioned on the lab report.

Don't let your GP fob you off. If you've still got the cough & other symptoms, this must not be ignored. It needs investigating.

[mmzetor]

that's a bad combination dust and mouldy air and im guessing with the mould the air is damp to be breathing in , I would think the combination would cause you to cough a lot as its causing irritation in your lungs ,

[Mandy6513]

Pseudomonas is a bug that can make us feel really rough and can take a long time to clear...your GP should be looking at several antibiotics for that.

As for your home you must either move or get the mould problem sorted out its really bad for us

[frank65 in reply to Mandy6513]

the mould only grows in damp conditions if heating does not sort it then you will need investigate further get an expert in .

[Mclyn]

Thanks for replies, the result actually said "No pathogens but + - pseudomonas" if there is an infection isn't that contridictuary?