[RWebb]

You should definitely see an allergist. Your PCP doctor can direct you to one, and your health plan may require that.

It could be chemicals, mold, animal dander... pollen seems unlikely this time of year.

Try to think back to when it got a lot worse if you can and what changed at about that time or a few weeks before that. -- any changes in your activities, new pet?,
neighbor sprayed their lawn?,
did you do any welding, glueing, painting,??
did you clean the bathroom or kitchen - spend time in the basement, stir up any dust??
did you put out wool blankets on the bed? a down comforter?
- all the above can be triggers for allergic rxns.

BTW< asthma is an allegic rxn that takes place in the tubes (bronchioles) that lead to the lungs - they do indeed contain circular rings of muscle and contract in reaction to chemical signals released by your immune system. Your immune system detectors find foreign particles and sends an alert to recruit help. The rxn is overblown and that is the problem. Sublethal exposures to numerous modern chemicals are thought to be important in "screwing up the system" as is early development in an environment that is _too clean_ (surprised?). No one has really figured out the whole problem yet; in part, because this physiological system is not housed in a nice convenient big organ for study - it is dispersed thru-out the body in cells and molecules.

- write it all down & start keeping a log book or diary

take it to your doctor and review with them

- repeat for each new specialist. don't assume the F&^(*&^ing HMOs will allow them time to carefully review your records.

If you don't have health insurance get it right away!

Try to be as specific as possible in talking to your doctor about your symptoms.

Ask your doctor who to see next (what specialist). It is ok to make a suggestion or ask a question of your doctor, but use the comments above as ideas, NOT as things to do. No responsible doctor will try to diagnose you on an Internet Bulletin Board. Do not self-medicate.

Take a written list of all meds. you are on - including over the counter ones.

Good Luck!