the same here

I don't understand how you could be short of breath if your SpO2% is 98%. Are you sure you oximeter is reliable? Have you tested it? I tested mine against my doctors and they matched exactly.

Pulse oximetry machine is right. Checked myself often and at pulmonary md. She says my problem isn't perfusing. When I exert myself I get extremely short of breath. My doc says that it is my bronchial tubes. Here is what I think. The air is trapped in my lungs is oxygenated and I can't breath anymore air in because of difficulty getting air out. I believe I am scarred. I don't think the doctor knows exactly what is going on. I have had 3 pulmonary function tests.My FEV1 is about 35% Thanks for responding. II appreciate it!

Ladybug, you just explained what I was going to mention. It's perfectly feasible to have O2 that high and feel short of breath if you tend to retain CO2. You can get the good stuff in, but the bad stuff doesn't come out too easily. I've had this problem quite a bit, and found that doing pursed lip breathing (PLB) can really help get the stale air out. Here's what you do:

Inhale through your nose to, say, a count of 3, and exhale through pursed lips (a pucker) to a count of 6. The actual numbers don't matter so much as to make sure that you exhale twice as long as you inhale. Whenever you find yourself short of breath, try this, in a calm relaxed way for a few minutes, and you should find that you feel better.

Do you smoke? It doesn't sound like you do. I don't know if the germicide could cause COPD, but it would be worth investigating.

Welcome to our group, too!
Hugs, Sue

I just saw your post and also wanted to say welcome.....

I don't seem to have the same problem with my breathing as you are discribing...
I was just wondering if you ever thought about a second opinon?
could make you feel better?

Bee

welcome ladybug, you will like the support you get from this group.I agree wiyh getting a second opinion. good luck

Ladybug, you have had some great information in the replies so far. This disease is so varied that what helps one doesn't necessarily help the next but a general overall understanding is ver helpful.

Your saturation levels indicate that you are getting enouch air and Oxygen in every breath.

Your perfussion (VQ) tests measures how well the air anf blood are flowing thru your lungs.
You can have shortness of breath that is not connected to a specific lung problem. Panic attacks, undiagnosesd heart difficulties, etc.

Scarring of your bronchial tubes can be cause by infections such as pneumonia, whooping cough, measles, etc. It can lead to bronchiectasis which means that your bronchial tubes have more mucus and are less able to move the air thru the tubes.

Any chemical breathed in on a regular basis can cause problems. It can cause chemical pneumonia and scarring from that could lead to breathing difficulty.

I certainly am not an expert. I only pass along personal experience but I found this to be so much help when trying to work with a doctor that can't give me the benefit of all their medical training as timely as I feel I need it. I learned while being a military dependant that "self help" is a very valuable word to be familiar with.
The more you can figure out the more in control you will feel.

Take care and the very best to you.

I a'm new to this site also. I have been on 02 three years...When you check your 02 sats, is this sitting still or did you check after walking? If I a'm sitting still my 02 levels are within normal range. However after I get up and move it starts dropping. It's like I forget to breathe .then I do the purse lips technique and I can fill my abdomen going down to normal size for me.So I know CO2 leaving.Panic attacks is the worse thing you can have.....So try to stay calm which is very very hard to do.....

Beechnut, when you are at rest , your stats are usually in normal range if you aren't on 247 oxygen. On exertion , moving walking, bending, etc., the sats will drop.

So it you want to know the range of you sats, then try both ways and try to find what your base is when you are moving. Most of us are told that anything below 88% requires a thought of using oxygen because your body is now not getting quite what it may need.

Panic will make your breathing much more difficult as it closes my airways and it is like sucking on a straw that has the end covered. The trick is to keep your rescue inhaler (Ventoli, in my case), try to calm down and relax and your breathing will return to normal.

I have been taught to move the shoulders in an up and down fashion a few times and then let them relax totally and you are being put in a position that makes it easier to breath.

Thanks for all the replies! Just to respond to some of the questions. I have started pursed lip breathing and it seems to help. I have smoked in the past since I was a teen. I have never smoked over a pack a day and have quit for years at times. I was also having around two a day the year prior to diagnosis. Realized there was a problem when I couldn't inhale deeply.Pretty sure my sats are staying the same with activity..I will check further I have had panic attacks I think in response to not being able to breathe. It seems I must stop dead in my tracks when an episode is coming on. Has anyone tried a fan to help during and episode? I did at some point and found it helps for some people when I googled it? As for a second opinion, my pulmonologist has mentioned sending me to one of thelarger hospitals for a consult. Thanks again for the welcome. It was much needed!!!

Dr Petty a leading pulmonologist explained it pretty well, in a nutshell he theorized that if your lungs are hyperinflated from copd your muscles you use for breathing become tired more quickly causing you to feel out of breath. The other thing that happens is you aren't able to exhale forcefully enough to remove the stale air from your lungs so you're doing what's called "air stacking", building up carbon dioxide in your system, thus adding to the sensation of SOB......

Here's something that I'll add directly from his book that I found interesting: "Shortness of breath is related to the work of
breathing that is, how hard it is to move air in and out of
the lungs. This does not directly relate to oxygen saturation.
You may be more short of breath when your oxygen is low,
but oxygen alone will not relieve shortness of breath. Exercise
training and pulmonary rehabilitation are usually helpful."

The biggest advice I can give you is try to exercise & stay in as good shape as possible and make sure you use pursed lip breathing, especially when you're exerting yourself or feel SOB.....

Hope this helps :)