HelpHello,
This is my first post on this site, but I've been reading it a lot over the last few weeks. It's been a great comfort.
I was hoping someone might be able to comment on the results of my recent spirometry test, and suggest any questions or further tests I should request from my GP, for when I have the follow up consultation.
This is the background. I'm a 45 year old male. I was a smoker during my late teens into my late 20s. I quit in 2006. I exercise a lot: I walk several miles every day, use my exercise bike daily and also do daily strength workouts (both on Apple Fitness). I'm 5f9 and on the lean side.
Late last summer, while walking briskly, I took a stressful work phone call and was surprised that I couldn't speak properly until I'd almost stopped walking. I put this down to anxiety. I also noticed, once or twice, that while at rest my breathing felt quite 'constricted'. Not short of breath at all, but not right either (I find it hard to describe). This feeling would pass after a short time. Again, I put this down to anxiety.
Then over the last winter I had an increase in winter coughs. This culminated in me calling the GP (I'd convinced myself that I had lung cancer) and she sent me for a chest x-ray. Two days later, on a friday evening, she text me to say that the x-ray showed 'features of COPD'. The NHS app said 'background COPD lung changes'.
After this I fell down the same Google hole that I lot of people seem to, and I think I had some sort of anxiety episode as well. My breathing became very shallow, I had a lot of chest tightness, and the 'constricted breathing' feeling came back with a vengeance, for much longer periods. I was getting extremely tired (especially in the evenings), my cough worsened, and I had some other flu like symptoms. It was very scary and I wasn't in a good place mentally.
The GP gave me a blue inhaler (which didn't really seem to help much) and said I'd had an exacerbation. In hindsight I think it was likely that I'd got COVID (it was going round the office, although for some reason I never took a test at the time), which may have triggered it.
After finding this site, and talking to a few people (including the practice nurse), I very slowly started to feel better, physically and mentally. For the last week or so I've no discernible physical symptoms at all. It's fair to say I'm still very worried though.
Then on Thursday, I finally had my spirometry test appointment. The technician said the results were normal. I've not had the full results yet and I'm waiting to talk to the GP about it. Is this enough information for anyone to comment on the results (hopefully it's legible!)? What further tests should I ask to have? Really grateful for any suggestions.