HELP - WICKED anxiety!

[lallieth]

For the past few days I thought I was starting a cold,sneezing,scratchy throat and stuffy..then I was telling a friend about this and about inhaling some moldy hay when I was walkng the dog on Wed..Now IAM FREAKED

I think I have somehow ruined my lungs inhaling this moldy hay. I have convinced myself that I need to see a Dr and that I wont be able to breathe properly...UGH

Tell me please I havent ruined my lungs for life and I wont have any kind of lung damage...

OH OH heres comes the panic attack...k Iam gonna keep writing,,breath and writing....I can feel it moving to my stomach and in my throat..feels like throat is closing but I know its not....BREATH slowlyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...calm...calm.......shaky but OK.....concentrate on my breathing........

OK I have calmed down for the most part..if I had a lung/breathing problem I wouldnt have been able to do an hour of intense exercise right? My throat is sore though..dry air? exercise?

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: HELP-WICKED anxiety!!!!!!!!!

I would make an appointment with a GP or see if I could come in as a walk-in just to be safe and allay my fears.

Even if it's something like "farmer's lung" (which seems unlikely), as long as it is diagnosed early you should be fine in the long term, especially since the exposure was very minimal rather than long term:

NASD: FARMER'S LUNG: It Takes Your Breath Away!

There are stories of some people having extreme allergic reactions to molds, but most people don't have such extreme reactions and could breathe mold all day for weeks or longer and be fine. So it is likey a cold or some other temporary symptom, IMHO, but I would get it checked out.

 

[Halo]

Re: HELP-WICKED anxiety!!!!!!!!!

Lallieth,

First of all I would think that inhaling moldy hay on a single occasion would cause you to have ruined your lungs permanently or even temporarily. I think that if you were doing this on a regular occasion then it would be possible for that to happen however since it was a one time occasion I honestly would not even consider it a factor but like Daniel says...just to be on the safe side and to ease your mind if you like, you could make an appointment with your GP.

You do say that you have felt cold, sneezing, scratchy throat and stuffy and that is most definitely the signs that you are coming down with either a cold or the flu. None of those symptoms have anything to do with your breathing. You are probably getting a little run down and therefore the cold symptoms are starting to show themselves.

Now that you are starting to panick about this situation it is probably making your breathing even worse when it is fact more than likely your anxiety spiking that is causing your breathing to be affected and not the moldy hay.

Is there anything that you could do to take your mind off your anxiety that would help calm you down....reading, writing, poetry, hot bath etc.

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: HELP-WICKED anxiety!!!!!!!!!

Also, from the same link:

The risks of becoming a victim of farmer's lung are fairly small. Studies suggest that fewer than 10 percent of farmers -- perhaps less than five percent -- are at risk of developing this condition. However, there is no way of finding out in advance whether or not you are immune.

NASD: FARMER'S LUNG: It Takes Your Breath Away!

And you aren't even a farmer, I assume.

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: HELP-WICKED anxiety!!!!!!!!!

It may be better (or at least more convenient) just to call the doctor since he/she may be quickly rule out over the phone that you have nothing to worry about.

Like Halo, I can't imagine you would have permanent damage from a single exposure. The problem with looking stuff up on the Internet rather than talking to a doctor is that one can lose perspective very fast.

 

[lallieth]

Re: HELP-WICKED anxiety!!!!!!!!!

Thanks both..Iam breathing calmer now..but WOW....I think the fact that I was dwelling on it didnt help,neither did my friend mentioning mold spores etc..but its not her fault.I realize now that I am probably getting a cold,as my daugher is getting over one...

I feel like such a hypocondriac when I get like this

PS Iam listening to Into the NIght(Carlos Santana/Chad Kroger) over and over.. on youtube

 

[Daniel E.]

Re: HELP-WICKED anxiety!!!!!!!!!

And since you are no longer being exposed to the moldy hay, I now don't see anything to worry about.

 

[Into The Light]

Re: HELP-WICKED anxiety!!!!!!!!!

you're no hypochondriac, just someone who gets anxious easily. not the same thing