Air travel and respiratory disease.
** Hypoxia-Altitude testing...ever heard of this test before?
Neither had we, that is until the referral came from the respiralogy doctor advising it beneficial to have. The telephone call this week notified of the test on October 1st.
Should it be a concern? YES! And we're very interested in hearing from any individual out there who has already had this test performed.
How does this affect someone with a respiratory disease?
Since even a normal and healthy person can desaturate when altitudes are reached by flying, a person with abnormal lungs (read - lung diseases), can become particularly vulnerable to risk factors such as abnormal spirometry. Those patients with a resting oxygen saturation below 92% or 92-95% on air with additional risk factors are recommended to have a formal hypoxic challenge test to identify whether they are able to compensate for the altitude.
What is this test exactly then?
"Hypoxia-Altitude Simulation Testing is used to to assess acute cardiopulmonary responses to the inhalation of hypoxic gas mixtures (equivalent to the inspired oxygen tension (PO2) present at 5,000, 8,000, and 10,000 feet above sea level) alone and in combination with supplemental oxygen (O2), also measuring arterial blood gases."
Highly recommended to those suffering from lung disease. Why not ask your doctor to refer you if flying is of concern for you?
You can find out more about it here;
** Subscribe to Mounier-Kuhn Syndrome Journey by Email
2 comments:
Hi Eric and Renee
Am probably not writing this in the place, but is the only place i can see to comment so apologies!
Just wanted to thank you for this page - i was diagnosed with Mounier Kuhn Syndrome in November 2009 when i was 26, after about 8 years of gp's and consultants trying to work out what was causing my continual chest infections. After going into hospital for what was my 5th or 6th broncoscopy, my newest consultant recognised my widened windpipe and admitted me straight away. Within 3 weeks, I had tracheobronchoplasty repair, involving several patches of teflon being stitched to the back of my widpipe and tighteneing it.
It took several months to recover from the surgery and although I still have the same 'widening' problem further down my windpipe and possibly the begiining of my bronchi, since surgery i have only had 2 or 3 infections but am now keeping that under control with long term antibiotics (topped up with further antibiotics and/or steroids when i feel an infection coming on), nightly CPAP therapy ('continuous positive airway pressure' which as far as i am aware is usually used to treat patients with sleep apnea) and daily inhalers.
Before this condition was diagnosed, i was struggling to cope day to day with my on going chest problems and more than anything, struggled to explain to people (including doctors) that I knew it was something more than just an infection or asthma. Since surgery, i feel as though I have my life back - the on going medication and CPAP isn't ideal, but is a small price to pay for my health.
I know that there are not many people out there with this condition and sadly, not all sufferers have been as fortunate as me to have returned to such good health. But hopefully, with increased medicial knowledge and pages like this to both increase awareness and give support, more people will begin to recognise the symptoms and get the treatment and support they need.
Thank you again and I wish you all the best for the future
K
My name is Wendy and recently my husband was diagnosed with MKS. Unfortunately he was seen (and diagnosed) by the most incompetent medical staff you can imagine. I am desperate to find a doctor that not only treats this, BUT KNOWS WHAT IT IS!!! Please, if you have ANY information that may lead us to who we need, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for creating this page & I wish nothing but the best for you & yours. Sincerely, Wendy
Post a Comment