Seasonal Allergies / short of breath?

[Guest]

Do any of you get shortness of breath with hay fever / seasonal allergies?

For about 2 weeks now I have been feeling like it's harder to breathe than it should be with a feeling of tightness / heaviness in my lower throat / upper chest. that sometimes gives a dry gaspy cough. And yes some post-nasal drip / sore throat and itchy eyes, which I expect from allergies, but not this short of breath feeling.

I got concerned enough that I went to urgent care on Monday which turned into ER workup with an x-ray, strep culture, bloodwork checking for some factor to see if my heart was working too hard, ultrasound to check for fluid in my lungs and if my heart was "squeezing" properly (their words). Nothing and got sent home with "pharyngitis" and told to take Zyrtec and Nasonet, which I have been since Monday, but little improvement. They said it might take a week and follow up with primary care in a week if not better.

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this with allergies. It's weirding me out a bit since these are like the early stage symptoms of when my valve was stenotic before. Plus, I would like to be able to breathe freely already.

Thanks.

 

[dornole]

This is me, dornole, by the way. I guess I did not log in before I posted.

 

[Richie Rich]

Last summer I could hardly breathe for months, after several GP visits I was told to see my cardiologist as it may be time for an op on my valve. To cut a long storey short it turned out my asthma had worsened and I needed new more powerfull inhailers. I've been better since but not great , but all the tests showed a 4.1 cm aortic aenyrism which wasn't the best news.

 

[epstns]

I sometimes have allergic reactions that make it feel like I'm working harder to breathe. For me, it is worst when the cottonwood trees bloom, but other things like plant pollen, mold, etc., can trigger it too. I notice the effort only occasionally, and since I go to the gym 5 days a week, I figure that if my exercise tolerance is the same as normal, then this must be temporary allergic reactions.

I cannot speak for your specific case, but if the ER workup came back pointing to upper respiratory issues and not heart issues, give it a few more days to see if it resolves.

 

[carolinemc]

To those who may want to check with your doctor, allergies can affect you breathing if you are congested in the chest area. You will know that by coughing a bit day or night. I know I have been through years of this. I just recently this week had a quick bout with the ragweed and hit me like a ton of bricks. Even had to go cardio checkup feeling horrible. Had a soar throat that is now getting better. It can cause shortness of breathe. I am starting to get better. Hugs for everyone today.

 

[harrietW]

I will weigh in also, Hello l haven't been the site for a couple of months. I have experienced this now for about 3-4 years. To my knowledge l am not alergic to anything ! However l do experience extrem shortness of breathlessness and cough. Weather and the element play such a huge factor windy day forget it .. snow heavy moisture periods terrible. To hot to dry all cause different reactions to by breathing. I do have interstitial lung disease. And of course heart .. they just don't know what to for with me. They have been talking open heart now for 2 years . I go for a heart catheterization / angiogram Thursday at the Foothills hospital Calgary. . I have every other test imaginable.
I live in southern alberta and my breathing has been really tough this last couple of weeks.
alergies l think not. Weather conditions absolutely . Everyone in awhile l actually feel like l'm getting better for a minute. It last about that long to. l am very anxious to see what info the heart catheterization reveals.

 

[dornole]

Thanks everyone, this is helpful to me. I feel better following the seasonal allergy treatment plan and waiting things out a bit longer. If not improved maybe I can see about asthma testing and treatment.