
What Does This X-ray Report For Difficulty Breathing Indicate?

Asthma vs COPD to be confirmed. Add Tiotropium
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome and thanks for your query.
First of all I congratulate you on your decision to stop smoking because it is the most harmful thing that a person with asthma can do. Have you had a spirometry ( lung function test) done recently. If so please upload the result. If not a baseline and a post bronchodilator test would show your response to a bronchodilator. This way I would be able to differentiate between asthma and COPD which you are prone to.
If you have COPD, you could use Spiriva (tiotropium) which would help you more and taper your prednisolone down. Prednisolone decreases your immunity and makes you more prone for infections like pneumonia and decreases the effect of antibiotics.
If you are very symptomatic, you can add on Spiriva and have your spirometry later.
I hope you will stick to your resolution to stop smoking ( including second hand)
Best wishes,


Recent spirometry said 13% reversibility... but felt like I was having an attack when having XXXXXXX test as had no medication for 12 hours .... reversal from attack attack is always much longer than the 15 mins in the waiting room to repeat test and actually wasn't back to normal l until well over an hour at home later... I would say that it probably didn't really count for much. Would the two attacks this weekend from exposure to dog hair and dust suggest asthma? Why are my airways more reactive since I stopped smoking? I have no cough but seem to be swallowing more clear, frothy mucus/phlegm after attacks....
Tiotropium is worth a try
Detailed Answer:
Please let me know the FVC and the FEV1 as percentage of the expected normal for age, sex , height and weight. 13% improvement is borderline and the absolute increase in terms of millilitres is also important.
If you have the report, please upload it.
Attacks on exposure to dog hair would suggest asthma.
The increase in phlegm is due to increased secretion and more clearing of the respiratory tract by the cilia that are regaining their function after you stopped smoking.
I think Spiriva would help if you can get it prescribed.


Can contribute to breathlessness depending on the extent
Detailed Answer:
The blunting of the costophrenic angle can be from a pleural effusion or from pleural thickening. If the shadow changes with posture it is fluid. Thickening does not change with position. If it is fluid it may be aspirated and analysed.
Pleural thickening can last for many months. Effusion would change with time either increase or decrease and disappear.
From the persistence of the pain for several months, it is likely to be a pleural thickening. This can decrease the compliance of the lungs if it is large and may contribute to breathlessness.

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