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Does anyone KNOW about asthma and COPD?

fords8

fords8

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I am googling....but not finding exactly what I am looking for.

What is the difference? How does one end up with COPD?

If an adult is diagnosed with asthma can they be SURE it isn't COPD? (googling around says many patients with mild COPD are mistakenly diagnosed with asthma).

More questions soon I am sure.
 
My grandma (87) has asthma and COPD, and from what I can figure in her case, those are just both nice words for emphysema.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001153/

Anyway, COPD is pretty rampant in people who were children in the Chicagoland area in the 70s (also LA, Ohio and other high-smog areas). I totally remember it being on the news every single day what kind of "ozone action day" it was. They gave the pollution index, etc.

As an aside, the Waukegan area has one of the highest groundwater lead levels in the nation. I remember that being on the news, too. For a long time we drank only bottled water at our house, the big 5-gallon Hinckley bottles. Or we would fill the bottles at my aunt's house over in Gurnee.
 
We use almost only bottled water for drinking...although we do use it for cooking. Just so much one can do, kwim?

So, did your grandmother live YEAR AND YEARS with it? or was she diagnosed at an advanced age?
 
She was diagnosed pretty much when they started calling it COPD (10? 12 years maybe). She is still kicking.

She was a heavy smoker for 50+ years. Now that she doesn't smoke, it's better. But she has daily meds to take.
 
Is COPD always associate with smoking?


My mom has asthma when she was very young and she grew out of it when she was 12-13. She started to have all the wheezing, short of breath and all the asthma symptoms again 5 years ago at 60+, it got pretty bad that she carries a nebulizer with her and takes some medication for it now. She never smokes, so does my dad, and expose to very little second hand smoke. The only thing I could think of is every year, we have haze that blows across the Straits to my hometown from the forest clearing in Indonesia!
 
My MIL has emphysema/COPD. The way I understand it asthma closes airways. With COPD is more an issue with the lungs. MIL has had a procedure to clean out her lungs a few times. She doesn't have attacks, like asthma, it's always hard for her to breath. She's on multiple meds, oxygen 24 hours a day, and a nebulizer every 4 hours. She still ends up in the hospital for a few days every time she gets a cold.
 
Barb I just read why you asked. I'm so sorry. I wanted to add that my MIL is a pretty severe case. She's also in her 70's.
 
Barb, I bet Ennui could help. COPD is much more severe than asthma. Does he wheeze all the time? When he coughs, does it bring stuff up? Do you have a nebulizer? I think you said yes but I can't remember.
 
I know about asthma, not COPD.

If Barb's DH has allergies, it could aggravate his asthma to a severe case.


He needs to be checked by a doc not only to Dx if it is asthma or COPD but to rule out any possible cardiac issues causing the breathlessness.

Hugs, Barb :huggy:
 
I put this in the other thread, may as well repost here:

COPD can improve with proper treatment, especially in the young. There are meds, and breathing exercises that help.

How long has this been going on? Does he have a COPD diagnosis? If he was recently sick, he could have pneumonia. Chronic productive cough is also a symptom of excessive worm/parasite load (sounds gross but if he's traveled overseas he might have picked up parasites). Any heart problems or high blood pressure? Could also be pleurisy, he would need a chest x-ray to confirm that - if bacterial, there are meds, if viral it usually clears up on its own (or could require drainage).

Did he ever somewhat drown or otherwise aspirate water or other liquid?
 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001163/

Also a chest x-ray can determine/rule out blastomycosis. It is a fungal infection of the lungs. Human cases have been popping up more & more lately.

It is treated with Diflucan/fluconazole. What they give for bad vaginal infections (so probably could get at the county, it is cheap).
 
So sorry Barb that you're going through this. I know how scary it feels :( Talked to DH to see if he could point you in the right direction and he had a ton of questions for me.

1. Has he had a complete history taken? Questions like has this happened in the past, how long did you smoke, have you worked in an industrial environment - been exposed to heavy fumes etc?

2. Has he had a chest x-ray/ekg and basic bloodwork? These should answer a lot of questions regarding what's going on.

3. Is there another free clinic you have access too? The one by us is very good, staffed with good Docs from the area who are volunteering their time. It doesn't sound like you're happy with the one near you.

4. Not sure of you're DH age but Asthma is sometimes but NOT often developed in adults, if he is in his 50's docs should be searching for other problems first.

5. Shortness of breath is the calling card for a whole list of issues. Could be a w things such as HEART disease, diabetes, respirtory issues besides asthma, autoimmune disorders.

6. The money spent on inhalers might not be what he needs right now, a quality work-up is CRITICAL.

I don't know if that helps at all, and I know health care is hard for you to come by.....please lmk if there are any questions I can ask him for you :flowers:
 
He smoked about 6 years? Stopped like 14 years ago.

He has been overseas. He came back sick last January (2012) and has been consistently ill since (much worse now...he again came back in 2013)

He has been to 2 different docs at the health dept. He was seen in the ER and had chest x rays 2/17. They didn't see pneumonia. (I don't know what else they looked for)

he is offered inhalers and albuterol and sent home.

He is seeing an asthma/allergy dc today. (right now actually)

He was outside 3 hours last night....when he came in he was coughing and choking and it scared me sooo badly. He did a nebulizer treatment that slowed it down enough for him to get to sleep.

Still coughng etc...this morning.

No stuffy nose just coughing, breathlessness, fatigue, heavy feeling in his chest. His cough is productive (mucus).

He did have blood work at the hospital. He is 39 and up until last January NEVER had respiratory problems. VERY healthy. Exercises regularly, etc..

He does have another autoimmune disorder (vitligo) which supposedly makes you more apt to get another one.


He was diagnosed with bronchitis in late October. That was when he got the first inhaler.

thanks everyone.
 
Well, it sounds like maybe he picked up something overseas. He can ask them to check for parasites and/or fungal signs.

It's difficult to deal with when you have something (or some time) concrete to point to!
 
kaeg1 said:
Barb, I bet Ennui could help. COPD is much more severe than asthma. Does he wheeze all the time? When he coughs, does it bring stuff up? Do you have a nebulizer? I think you said yes but I can't remember.
Click to expand...


The cough does bring stuff up. He wheezes all the time (I hear it mostly at night....but during the day too).

Cold makes it worse.

Yes, we have a nebulizer and albuterol to use in it.

He says the inhalers don't really help but the nebulizer helps (not to the point of feeling WELL..but better than before it)

Peak flow meter rates at the hospital were 400. His oxygen levels last night were 94. (Emmalee has a pulse oxometer in the house). If he is ever SCARY bad I at least make sure his sats aren't dangerous.
 
Barb09 said:
He smoked about 6 years? Stopped like 14 years ago.

He has been overseas. He came back sick last January (2012) and has been consistently ill since (much worse now...he again came back in 2013)

He has been to 2 different docs at the health dept. He was seen in the ER and had chest x rays 2/17. They didn't see pneumonia. (I don't know what else they looked for)

he is offered inhalers and albuterol and sent home.

He is seeing an asthma/allergy dc today. (right now actually)

He was outside 3 hours last night....when he came in he was coughing and choking and it scared me sooo badly. He did a nebulizer treatment that slowed it down enough for him to get to sleep.

Still coughng etc...this morning.

No stuffy nose just coughing, breathlessness, fatigue, heavy feeling in his chest. His cough is productive (mucus).

He did have blood work at the hospital. He is 39 and up until last January NEVER had respiratory problems. VERY healthy. Exercises regularly, etc..

He does have another autoimmune disorder (vitligo) which supposedly makes you more apt to get another one.


He was diagnosed with bronchitis in late October. That was when he got the first inhaler.

thanks everyone.
Click to expand...
If there is a chest xray they will look for anything that is not normal. So suffice it to say there probably wasn't anything abnormal on it (hopefully). When dh had the cat scan for the kidney stone they mentioned they saw a spot on the lungs (it is old and had been checked and biopsied years ago). They weren't even looking at the lungs but brought it up.
 
Was the blood work normal, did he have a CBC?

DH suggested a pulmonologist and a CAT scan of the chest would be his first thoughts, especially seeing he made the trip out of the country. Suggested that a good Allergist might also feel that way and might make the referral himself.

Both peak flow and saturations are midly low but suggest further eval is necessary (just repeating DH speak lol).
 
I have this Barb.. I don't have insurance or work but I think I can get into a clinic in WI. What I do is drink about a gallon a day of lemon water.. I use generic Acetamiaphin and Mucinex(dollar store). Get a cold air mask.. Leave dairy alone.. Eat plain meat,veggies, & fruit..Stay away from processed food and get to the country as fast as you can.. Also leave liquor and pop alone.. Drink coffee or tea sparingly until you have flooded your system with water. Use air cleaners and in general stay away from chemicals as much as you can.
 
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