breathing getting worse

[patty10]

hi not posted for a while been unwell,specialist says i have stage 2 emphysema and bronchitis's i was doing well at rehab clinic,then had an infection which lasted 2/3 weeks,however been clear for two weeks yet my breathing is the worst it has ever been can hardly breath at all ,even the smallest chore is an effort ,like getting dress in a morning,i can not understand with lung efficiency of 80 % why am i having this problem,i take no medication,other than antibiotics when a flare up occurs,i am due to see specialist in two weeks time and i am going to try to go back to pulmonary rehab and be re accessed,has anyone else had this happen to them.

[Badbessie]

Hi sorry to hear about your breathing becoming worse. There could be a number of reasons for this. It can take the lungs time to recover from an infection even after the infection as cleared. The general rule is that following a chest infection no lung function tests can be given for six weeks as the result may not be a true reflection of lung function. Your lungs may need more time to recover.

[sassy59]

I do hope things improve soon but you may need medication to help you. See what your specialist says. Take care in the hot weather. Xxx

[O2Trees]

There is not automatically a connection between lung function percentage and breathlessness. People can have totally normal lung function and still have severe breathlessness. What Badbessie says could well be the cause, or possibly the sky high levels of grass pollen. If you are susceptible to that then that could be the reason.