Expert: Bailey - 7/29/2009

Question
I am in my 30's and have had asthma since childhood.  Recently, on advice from my doctor, I had my first PFT done to test my lung function.  According to the tech I did well on all of the tests except the one where you inhale real deep and fast and then blow out as hard and fast as you can.  My results on the test did not improve after I used my Albuterol inhaler and the tech said that the results should have shown some improvement.  My lungs felt great that day so I was very surprised.  He told me my small airways are probably more closed then they shoud be and that when I meet with the pumologist he will probably give me new meds to try and open them up.  I am scared that I have COPD or something from years of having asthma that was not controlled.  I always thought my asthma was controlled but found out that using your rescue inhaler more than twice a week is not controlled.  Should I be concerned about the PFT results or is this typical?

Answer
Hi Tammie-

Considering that you did well on other tests (also depending on what exactly the other tests were), I would not worry too much at this point about there being a very serious problem. There could be other factors not related to your asthma that could affect the test results on that particular test. For instance, how long after taking the albuterol did the tech have you wait before trying again? Albuterol typically works within minutes, but can take longer. If the test was taken too soon, the albuterol may not have had enough time to work fully, especially if you were feeling good and not having any problems breathing prior to taking it.
However, it can be easy for asthma patients to lose a feel for how controlled their asthma really is. When you have had it for so long, you are more used to dealing with it so it may take a more serious problem for you to realize that it is poorly controlled.

Are you on any maintenance medications now? If you are using your Albuterol more then a few times a week, most Dr's would recommend that you be placed on a daily maintenance medication. Chronic swelling of the airways is common with asthma, and these medications help to eliminate this over time, but it is a process of trial and error. There are many different types of meds. they may use for this purpose so you may have to try a few different ones until you find one that works for you.

I would also recommend asking your Dr. about getting a peak flow meter if you dont have one. You can get a prescription for one, or you can also get them online pretty cheap. It is just a little device that you blow into, much like on your PFT test. It will give you a number that you can use to determine what level your lung function is at so you can monitor at home and see if you are improving or getting worse. It's easy to use, and they tend to be a pretty good measure of your condition. From the sounds of it though, I would not be too concerned about the PFT results - just be sure to follow up with your Dr. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.  
Bailey