Hello everyone!
I am wondering if there is someone else here with interstitial lung disease. I was just diagnosed yesterday, and it is another road untraveled.
Definately came as a shock when the doctor called. It is from sjogrens.
Thank you!
Designer
Dear Designer,
I have small airway obstruction, which is a bit like interstitial lung disease, I think.
I have had symptoms for a long time, but evidently it didn't show up on those breathing tests the doctors do routinely in an exam.
My condition was identified on a pulmonary exam last Fall, ordered by my Immunologist because there is an association between Small Airway Obstruction and my Immune Deficiency Disease (CVID). I'm part of a cohort she is studying so she orders the test for everyone.
The three main symptoms:
1) I have a kind of wheezing crackling sound when i exhale strongly.
2)I can't take really deep breaths.
3)And if I have a lung irritation (dust, feathers) that triggers coughing, I can spiral into what is called 'cough induced asthma'. That means the more I cough the worse it gets. It becomes a loud horrible cough, and lots and lots of stuff is produced. My cough becomes convulsive and scary.
When cough induced asthma, the cure is to STOP COUGHING! I must force myself to stop coughing. As soon as I can do that, the entire episode stops!
The first episode of Cough Induced Asthma occurred in 2014 when we were in Paris. I had no idea at first what was happening, but I remembered that one of my grandchildren had has this, so I Googled it (at 3 am) and sure enough, the 'cure' is to stop coughing.
Here's what the Mayo Clinic says about ILD.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-lung-disease/basics/treatment/con-20024481
An this is very comprehensive and technical article about small airway obstruction.
http://err.ersjournals.com/content/22/128/131#sec-4
It describes the connection to Sjogren's and to CVID. But it's a lot of work to read!
Regards, Elaine