Does this sound like asthma? Or worse?

[Darwin73]

For the last few days I've felt kind of a tightness in my chest and whenever I inhale deeply I have to cough. The centre of my chest behind my breast bone also feels kind of irritated (if it was on the outside I'd want to scratch it). I would say it is a bit worse on exertion, but I can feel the irritaion feeling all the time. My pulse is fairly slow and regular (about 60) and I don't suffer from panic attacks or tend to worry about heart / lung issues (until now, lol!). So anyone any ideas or had anything like this themselves? Thanks

[sebinkent]

You're not alone! I'm obsessed with this too and have asthma concerns. I need to stop worrying about it but it's so difficult when you have asthma related symptoms. I've had a spirometry test and the nurse has told me that I don't need to worry about asthma and even if I did have it, it shouldn't affect normal activities, including exercise with the right treatment.
The problem is, anxiety symptoms can mimic asthma symptoms and the more you worry about having asthma, the more anxious you become. I have had a tight chest, shortness of breath and a cough over the last few months but I have also been very anxious during that time. I just wish this could end and I could relax. :weep:

[Pipkin]

Hi guys,

Although it's impossible to say for sure (you need to ask your GP), what you're describing doesn't sound like asthma to me.

I have asthma and it is typified by wheezing and a tightness in the chest. At its most severe, it's very difficult to breathe.

Most likely, these are anxiety symptoms but, as I said, check it out with your GP, if you haven't already.

Take care

Pip x

[Darwin73]

Thanks for the replies. Sebinkent, I read your post about the heavy feeling you get on your chest in the morning, and I think it is a good sign that it goes away when you get up and walk about. I completely get where you are coming from though - it is hard to think it could be anxiety-related when you are having all the symptoms of something else.

Pipkin, I was hoping an asthma sufferer would post and say whether my symptoms did/did not sound like asthma. I haven't had any wheezing, but do feel a tightness in my chest and have a dry cough. I was diagnosed with mild asthma about 15 years ago, but I always thought that was a mis-diagnosis as I was later found to be quite anaemic and put my breathlessness on exertion down to that.

[oneofus]

My wife has mild asthma, and it doesn't sound as if you do. Oddly asthma makes breaking out difficult rather than breathing in. If it should be mild asthma, you'll notice a wheeze and that things get a little better after a strong black coffee which is well known to hep with asthma if you don't have access to any mainline drugs.

one of us