I had my spirometry test shows slight COPD just went to a lung specialist being a non-smoker he says its Asthma I checked and this asthmas can become COPD as I see it I am in between both Asthma and COPD he said I need to find out what is trickering my Asthma well I know what it is and that is being around anyone that smokes or has smoking on them it sents me off right away so how am I going to work again if I cant find a place that has no one who smokes there. I just had a chest x-ray done and my primary care ordered a test to see what all I am allergic to so after this I gues I just need to stay away from things that cause my flare ups. I also know that stress is a part of this too. I remember having asthma when I was young I had it from 6mos to 18 yrs old at that time I just suffered with my breathing as I never knew about having a way thie hospital can give me breathing treatments I went through crying cause I couldnt breath I suffered so bad and when it stopped at 18 yrs old I was so happy I took up running races and loved it but now at 57 yrs old I stuggle with heavyness on the lungs getting sick at night throwing up at times and cough I feel like its just going to get worse.
There's a fair bit of confusion around between COPD and emphysema: the latter is almost always caused by smoking but also by long term asthma and/or exposure to industrial pollution.
Where one earth do you work that you're exposed to people smoking near you in the workplace? What country are you in? Obviously not Australia, it's not allowed any more to smoke in any workplace or in hotels, cafes etc and soon will be banned in outdoor eating areas as well, which will be a huge relief to me as I find it difficult socialising around smokers.
That must be much worse if it triggers of an asthma attack: I have emphymesa so if I decide to go out to live music, which I love, I have to accept I'll be waking up the next couple of nights with coughing, lung congestion and sometimes choking on phlegm in my throat.
If you can get into lung rehab I strongly recommend it, there are ways of conserving energy with all forms of COPD which are well worth trying in my experience.
Unfortunately it won't get better, but it may well get worse at a much slower rate if you get into rehab - please give it a try and good luck to you
thanks for your advise I will look into it I am from Florida USA and I was working at Waste Management the only Female driver to pick up Garbage I always had to go through people smoking in front and on side of our building I asked the supervisors for a smoking area so I wouldnt have to go through smokers everytime I came to work but they never did anything about it anyway it did cost me my job so I want to look for anoother job but its going to be hard
That is just terrible - surely that's a union matter? Or am I daydreaming - it certainly would be here, unfair dismissal to be sacked because your health is being affected by other workers' smoking! It's totally outrageous and I really feel for you.
Smoking has been banned in workplaces here for (I think) at least 10 years, probably more, and eventually with a lot of union and health authorities pressure bars & hotels & cafes were finally recognised as workplaces for the staff and smoking banned there too.