Brief Answer:
It is very unlikely it is due to trachea

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at HCM.

I carefully read your question and understand your concern.

Being short of breath might limit your activities and might really affect the quality of live as you have said. There are several cause of shortness of breath.

The lungs are a very common cause of shortness of breath and COPD being a very important one. COPD and emphysema they are both qualified as chronic lung disease and they might affect the oxigenation of bood and also might affet the heart function. If you have been smoking for several years than the diagnosis of COPD is not so unusual and emphysema neither as they might be related to chronic tabaco use.

If you have had a spirometry (a test that checks your lung functions) and a CT scan and they support the diagnosis than it is very likelythe diagnosis is accurate.

Very likely you have also had a heart ultrasound but if not you will need one to check the heart function as sometimes issues with the heart function might cause shortness of breath that is mostly worse on exercise and on laying down. If hte heart is the cause of the shortness of breath the patient generally can not lay flat but needs several pillows and also the legs might be swallen. A heart ultrasound should be done also because chronic lung problems (COPD and emphysema) might cause changes in the heart and problems with it.

Trakea might cause shortness of breath but is very rare and generally is associated with problems in breathing in (COPD and emphysema cause problem with breathing out) and the most common causes would be allergy (so the symptoms would not be stable and there all the time) and if you would have a mass but you this is so rare that I would say it is impossible. If you are concerned of the trachea you can ask for a bronchoscopy that is a tube that goes in the trachea and the main airways and visualise them. If this test is normal than you do not have a problem with the trachea.

You will need to strictly follow the recommendations of the doctor and take the treatment regular even though it is true that medications can not reverse the blockage of the airways in COPD and emohysema but sometimes there is some realease. Oxygen should be used if your SPO2 is low- it should make you feel better.
So to conclude:
1. have a heart ultrasound to see the heart function as the heart problems can cause shortness of breath and the chronic lung problems can cause changes in the heart
2. Have a bronchoscopy done to visualise the airways and rule out trachea problems (this is very likely not the cause of your shortness of breath)
3. follow the recommendations of your doctor as well as possible

I hope this answers to your question and is helpful to you but please feel free to contact me if any more clarifications are needed.

I wish you will be better and feeling well.

Kind regards

Dr Antoneta Zotaj

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Brief Answer:
COPD can happen even without phlegm production

Detailed Answer:
Hello again,
Thank you for the information added in the reply.

I understand your confusion with the diagnosis as you do not bring up phlegm.
The condition that is characterised by phlegm production is chronic bronchitis and I would be surprised if you were diagnosed with chronic bronchitis and you have no phlegm.
On the other hand COPD can cause shortness of breath without phlegm in some patients and this is normal.
The spirometry and the Chest CT scan do diagnose the lung problems with hight accuracy so if the doctors have done those tests and still think it is COPD than it is very likely this is the diagnosis.

As for the leg symptoms it is likely you have a problem with atheroschlerosis as you do not have good pulses in the legs and this would make is hard to be able to walk long as your legs do not get enought blood supply to be able to support activity.

It is good to have a heart ultrasound to rule out heart problems as very likely you have heart problems also.

Kind regards,

Dr Antoneta

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