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What Causes Shortness Of Breath Inspite Of Having Normal Pulmonary Tests?
Question: iam short of breath, I have had dermatomyositis for 30 years my lungs are clear. I pass all pulmonary tests my
my O2 IS 96% WHEN checked, could there be damage to my lungs from the dermatomyositis that would
not show up under testing but still cause breathing problems
my O2 IS 96% WHEN checked, could there be damage to my lungs from the dermatomyositis that would
not show up under testing but still cause breathing problems
Brief Answer:
Maybe not damage to the lungs but, to the muscles!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.
I am so sorry to hear about this breathing difficulty that you have. With all pulmonary testing being normal. it would be very unlikely that your disease has affected the lung tissue. However, because we use muscles in order to be able to breath and this condition affects muscles, the muscles of respiration may have been affected. This is to say this disease might have affected the respiratory muscles, making them less effective in moving air in and out of the lungs thus increasing the over all labour. This will translate into breathing difficulties that would not necessarily affect the gas exchange parameters of the lungs.
Ask your doctor what he thinks about the state of the various muscles used in respiration and whether that could be one of the possible explanations for the breathing difficulties that you have.
In all, the lung tissue is in good shape but the muscles that move air in and out of the lungs could have been affected and this could be the cause of this difficulty. Talk to your doctor and hear what he says.
I hope this helps. I wish you well.Feel free to ask for more information and clarifications should need be. Thanks for using our services. We very much appreciate that.
Dr. Ditah, MD.
Maybe not damage to the lungs but, to the muscles!
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.
I am so sorry to hear about this breathing difficulty that you have. With all pulmonary testing being normal. it would be very unlikely that your disease has affected the lung tissue. However, because we use muscles in order to be able to breath and this condition affects muscles, the muscles of respiration may have been affected. This is to say this disease might have affected the respiratory muscles, making them less effective in moving air in and out of the lungs thus increasing the over all labour. This will translate into breathing difficulties that would not necessarily affect the gas exchange parameters of the lungs.
Ask your doctor what he thinks about the state of the various muscles used in respiration and whether that could be one of the possible explanations for the breathing difficulties that you have.
In all, the lung tissue is in good shape but the muscles that move air in and out of the lungs could have been affected and this could be the cause of this difficulty. Talk to your doctor and hear what he says.
I hope this helps. I wish you well.Feel free to ask for more information and clarifications should need be. Thanks for using our services. We very much appreciate that.
Dr. Ditah, MD.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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