Nicole Seale, 43, of Libertyville, encourages people to keep searching for answers to unexplained health issues, as frustrating as the journey can be.
“You know what you're feeling and if it’s right or wrong or different,” she said. “We need to advocate for ourselves.”
Seale’s advice comes from her own experience. In October 2022, Seale was finding it hard to catch her breath in certain situations.
“It started by feeling out of breath just going up a flight of stairs,” said Seale. “I had difficulty talking and it felt like I was trying to gasp for air.”
She saw her primary care physician (PCP), but since many people experience shortness of breath after climbing stairs, there didn’t seem to be anything seriously wrong with Seale.
But as her condition worsened, her PCP ordered a chest X-ray and blood work, which showed normal results. As Seale’s condition continued to decline, her PCP ordered pulmonary function tests to gauge the health of her lungs, but those came back normal as well.
Eventually, Seale started experiencing something called stridor, noisy breathing caused by a narrowed or obstructed airway. Seale’s PCP recommended she see an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist.
She searched online and found Sameer Ahmed Alvi, MD, a head and neck oncologic and reconstructive surgeon with Endeavor Health, and scheduled an appointment. Dr. Alvi was able to diagnose Seale right away.
“He just had to hear me breathe in once and he knew what it was,” said Seale.
Dr. Alvi diagnosed Seale with a condition called idiopathic subglottic stenosis.
“Idiopathic subglottic stenosis is a relatively rare condition that presents as a narrowing in the upper part of the trachea (windpipe) right below the vocal cords, which can cause patients to become short of breath,” explained Dr. Alvi. “The diagnosis is often delayed because the patients will have normal initial testing such as on a chest X-ray.”
Dr. Alvi ordered a CT scan and blood work and determined the best treatment for Seale was surgery. Her condition had become severe, so her procedure was scheduled right away.
“It was outpatient,” explained Seale. “There was no real recovery — I just experienced immediate relief.”
While her breathing has returned to normal, Dr. Alvi continues to monitor Seale as her condition has a high recurrence rate.
“For any patient with continued shortness of breath or noisy breathing without a known cause, a visit to an ENT specialist is important,” said Dr. Alvi.
After her experience, Seale wants people to remember how important it is to keep looking for answers when experiencing mysterious health problems.
“We know ourselves the best,” she said. “Keep pushing until you get the answers you need.”
