I have a question. Ive been kind of sick for the past few months. Ive been to the doctor for a cough, lots of mucous, and stuffy nose. The cough went away and my nose hasnt been too bad. I felt like things were starting to get better. I woke up this morning out of nowhere wheezing deep in my chest. I am scared that this is a sign of asthma. I was just curious if you think I need to go get tested for allergies or asthma or if this is something to worry about. Thanks.
Hello, Thank you for asking at Chat Doctor. I went through your history and would like to make suggestions for you as follows:1. As you have repeated cough/cold symptoms, it is possible that you could have allergic rhinitis. If you have repeated episodes of wheezing/breathing difficulty, I would also first think of asthma. Of course, I would like to know more details about you like your age, other symptoms, other medical conditions, medications, family history, your environment, etc. etc.2. For diagnosis of asthma, I usually suggest my patients' spirometry with post-bronchodilatory reversibility testing, which helps to diagnose asthma.3. As you also have repeated cough-colds, I would suggest you allergy testing for common air-borne allergens such as house dust mites, molds, pollen, insect proteins, animal dander, etc. This will help you identify the substances causing allergies to you and also to know the measures to avoid them.4. Based on allergy testing, an Allergist-Immunologist may prescribe you allergen specific immunotherapy which works on immune system to gradually improve allergy symptoms over a long time.5. In general, I would suggest you to avoid exposure to dusts, smokes and air pollution as much as possible.6. Regular breathing exercises and healthy diet rich in vitamins & minerals will also help you by improving your lung capacity and immunity respectively in a long run. So, there is possibility that you could have allergies and/or asthma. But please do not too much worry about them. Asthma is a dynamic disease, that can improve with certain medications and precautions, so as many of allergies. Hope above suggestions will be helpful to you. Should you have any further query, please feel free to ask at Chat Doctor. Wish you the best of the health ahead. Thank you & Regards.