My family has a history of asthma and COPD. My grandfather had COPD , my mother and two of her five siblings, of my 13 maternal cousins 7 have severe asthma. My uncle told me that his consultant told him it was emphysema they all had. My mother told me when I was younger the doctor who all the family was under said the family suffered from weak lungs. I've suffered with what I would say was more like asthma since last Christmas following a bad COVID infection. All x-ray are clear but show lung scarring. The doctor just insists it's COPD as I smoked for most of my adult life. Yet one of my aunt's who had COPD never smoked and lived in a smoke free home as did all the cousins with asthma. Has anyone else experience of hereditary COPD please. Sorry for the long post
Hereditary?: My family has a history of... - Lung Conditions C...
Hereditary?
Hi Lindy. Not everyone who has emphysema is a smoker or has been exposed to smokers / smoke etc. Although not hereditary, family members can pass on a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), which can cause emphysema. Maybe ask your doctor about this. Asthma on the other hand can most certainly be hereditary.
Also, an x-ray alone cannot diagnose emphysema or asthma for that matter. Maybe you already had tests? But normally a spirometry test, CT scan, blood tests, and at times an arterial blood test are conducted. The best thing you can do is see a lung consultant to get a definitive diagnosis. If you have either of these conditions you will need treatment if not now, further down the line. If you have scarring in your lungs please take extra care to not catch anything which might cause further damage as often lung damage is irreversible. I wear a mask in crowds and wash/ use alcohol gel when I'm out.
I'm sorry you had Covid. That is awful. I hope you are feeling better now. Take care.
Cas 🤗
Thanks. I am due a spirometry test but it's been on hold most of the summer due to my hayfever and now due to the infection. I saw a consultant lung chap at a n e and he said my doctor is wrong to say it's COPD and could well be asthma as scarring can be caused by many things. When I mentioned this to my GP I was told not this kind of scarring and I think you have both asthma and COPD because you smoked. My breathing as really improved since using the red inhaler but I really want to be sure I'm being treated for the correct illness
Yes! You must be sure. I hope you can have your spirometry test etc. soon. It is better to find out asap. Please let us know how it goes. xx 🙋🐶
Hi Lindy, I was a smoker but also, somewhere and I'm now sure when, I was exposed to asbestos. When I was in my early twenties, I had a very severe case of pneumonia which almost killed me, and also left scarring in my lungs! As you point out, there are many ways that a person's lungs can get scarred besides from smoking! Did your family members ever work in an industry where asbestos was used? It used to be thought to be safe and used in such things as you'd never suspect as being dangerous, such as Christmas tree "snow", as well as, of course, in the building industry, and all kinds of products!
I honestly don't know I don't think so my mother was a gardener so spent most of her life outdoors, my granddad had an outdoor job too
there is an inherited condition called A1A antitrypsin deficiency which makes the lungs exceptionally vulnerable to conditions such as COPD. There are centres for this around the country and your GP can have the blood test done. As so many in your family have had these problems it would be advisable to find out. This genetic condition makes smoking even more dangerous to the lungs and also means that asthma and chest infections can lead to lung damage because the body is not making the substance which protects lungs from damage when those without the deficiency get a chest infection or smoke. There is now a lot of anecdotal evidence that covid has led to lung damage and the development of conditions such as bronchiectasis but this is going to take a long time before it is researched properly.
Thanks I have mentioned it several times to my GP. I wonder if I can get a test done private
Your GP has a duty of care towards you. 'Mentioning' it is not insisting on your right to proper treatment. Go again and push the point. If you are A1A it needs acting on quickly and a referral to a centre. Delay can damage your lungs further. I don't know if you can get the test privately but if you are planning to go that route I would be looking for a private consultant who specialises in A1A to do the test and advise you.
There is an often hereditary element to non-smokers COPD called Alpha-1 Deficiency, it used to be diagnosed with a simple finger prick blood test - I'm afraid I don't know if that's still the case. Theres also working/ living environment, childhood situation (I have asthma, was brought up with a pipe smoking stepfather, people smoking on top deck and London smogs) and pollution. I don't have copd (fortunately for me) but it may be worth checking out the Alpha-1 angle. I believe Spirometry test shows COPD - or not.
Edit: I see Swizzy has already mentioned the Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency 👍
Thanks
ok so I had a 23&me done and this is one of the results that showed up for me, I have lung diseases and family history this is the information that showed on my 23&me results
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
AAT deficiency is a genetic condition that can lead to lung and liver disease. It is caused by decreased levels of the alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein. This test includes the two most common variants linked to this deficiency. AAT deficiency is caused by certain combinations of genetic variants. However, people with only the variant detected are not likely at risk for developing lung or liver disease related to AAT deficiency. But then it says while you have one of the two genetic variants we tested, you are not likely at risk for symptoms of AAT deficiency. So I’m thinking do I have something that they do not test for - thought I’d share as noticed your post as I have not smoked since 25 and have lung diseases so I found it interesting that this was in my results I told my consultant and showed him but because it said not likely at risk that it’s not something I need to worry about, I stopped smoking decades ago.l, but I had a grandfather that died of lung disease I saw in other responses you can request a test for AAT and you can look into how to avoid any further damage, hope all goes well
Hi im stage 4 emphysema copd my dad passed away from it age 73 his brother passed age late 80s from it my older brother passed from it age 66 he never smoked my mum age 62 passed had it both my sisters have asthma one of them has Bronchiolitis aswell my son passed from Bronchiolitis age 3 months in 19.79 my younger brother is on border line copd I'm 68 I've had the Alpha 1 test for the sake of my daughters and son but it came back clear which suprised all of us with so many of us suffering from it I seen a lung specialist 22 years ago got all tests done that's when I was diagnosed he discharged me me I haven't seen one since due to none being in my area I was told I'm out of jurisdiction of a 15 minute bus ride x
My maternal family particularly the males died young due to the lung issues one uncle set a record of over 150 years he made it to 72. Access to a lung specialist should be made available to everyone regardless of area
I've even been refused the nebs that go into nebuliser it's so wrong x
The NHS runs on a Right to Choose system. Link below. As a patient you have a right to choose where you are referred/treated in most circumstances. This doesn’t have to be in your area and can be at a private hospital sometimes too (costing the NHS the same).
I have just moved home and am technically out of the catchment area for the hospital I’ve been treated at for the last 4 years. I asked if I could stay as a patient there and my consultant said “of course you can, you can move anywhere in the country and stay on our list”.
nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/about-...
Thank you I'll look at link now x
Hi, before answering, can you tell us where you lived as a famil? Thanks, Chris.
Rural town in the Midlands
Hi, "rural" ruls out any thought of it being due to environment. Rural as clean air, so perhaps the family is susceptible to lung problems, as some families are susceptible to cancer, for example. Hope tat you can find some more definitive info. Have a good day, Chris, in very rural France.
Thanks have a great day rural France sounds very good
Crop spraying over years etc as opposed to traffic
Possible. I asked the question because when my mum was in hospital with shortness of breath, the doctor asked had she ever smoked. She replied no, but I lived down Attercliffe. Attercliffe being at the industrial heart of Sheffield. All the houses were the same colour, black. The doctor replied,hmm, you might as well have smoked 50 fags a day, the result would be the same. Thankfully, the very heavy industry has gone, the coal mines have closed and Sheffield is a very clean city. I don`t mum would have changed very much in her lifetime. She was proud to have lived through 2 world wars, visited some amazing places in Europe, had a wonderful caring family and lived to be 103. Take care, I`ll get bck to work, Chris.
You always knew where my late grandmother was by the wheezy breathing , she never smoked but was a miners widow , and mother of miners so had free coal . Cooked on an open range , hot water , heating .
My late mother was asthmatic , then me , then my three daughters .
Only I smoked , that was 45 years ago , but smoking was so widespread on public transport , cinemas , pubs , hospitals even , until relatively recently .
My neighbour has COPD , never smoked . Neighbour other side , noisy wheezy breather , short of breath …never smoked . Shut the nearby coal fired power station recently, so can’t blame that now. But live between A1 and M 1 .
Maybe it’s a combination of genetics and poor air quality ….and whooping cough as a child
Your post has got me thinking , sending best wishes .
It does make you wonder my maternal grandma lived to be 90 she lived in a house where everyone smoked, she smoked a hardcore 60 a day , worked in a smokey factory, even an ammunition factory during WW2 and never had a chest infection or lung problem. My father in law lived to be 92 smoked 40 a day no tips from the age of 13 again never had lung problems. I'm not saying smoking and environmental issues aren't contributors but it makes my mind boggle.
Most of my family had lung problems, however, most of them smoked. The problem was on my father's side of the family. People in his family died of TB. He smoked, as did all but two of his six children, one of those two died of diptheria aged 6. The other had quinsies or some other disease I can't remember the name of, when she was sixteen, as did the other sister who smoked, and both had failed heart valves. We also lived through terrible air conditions. All homes were heated by coal fires, and factories and electricity generating ran on coal. So, our lungs didn't stand much chance. I smoked until I was 45, but some damage had been done. People smoked in the workplace, and everywhere else, including the cinema. So, you were at the pictures for probably 4 hours, breathing in yours and others smoke. There was always a fog wherever you were
I also wonder what damage childhood illness can do to you. I had measles and whooping cough; what can they leave you with?
My mum never had any problems with her lungs. So, definitely there is a weakness on my paternal side, handed down to his offspring.
My gt grandma died of asthma,all of her many daughters lived to a gd old age.my grandma had no breathing probs despite smoking woodbine.ive severe asthma(& lot of lung& airway diseases). My sons had childhood asthma,one into adulthood but doesn't affect him currrently & but has also allergies+ chronic rhibutosinusitis,from me,his son has asthma,exzema& hayfever too.definately genetics x
Smoked with Asthma, Duh 🤦🏻♂️Did you?
newly diagnosed COPD
No energy ot appetite
Can asthmatics who have neither smoked nor been passive smokers contract COPD?
rehab
