RAF Asthma

[moonlight-flyer]

As a child I was wrongly diagnosed with asthma and around 2 years ago I got the all clear that I never had it. I'm currently 16 and if all goes to plan when i leave school I will apply to the RAF to be a pilot. Is there anyway I can prove I never had asthma and get it wiped from my medical records and even with wrongly diagnosed asthma on my medical records would the RAF take a second look at my application?

[Scottish.CPL]

it will involve alot it things, asthama, a strick no no ok, how were you wrongly diagnosed, can you explain. regarding your medical, it is against the the law to ommit records from you gp records, you r gp, and the health minister are the only to people that own your records, and if you gp did ommend the records he/she is breaking the law and can/will be struck of th registrar.

the raf will do tests but you will have a fight on your hand im afraid buddy, im not a doctor but know the law and the airforce will reject you INITIALLY based on your gp records, ok.

i have a friend now retired flt.leut and he was the same, but can i ask you were you precsribed in inhailer and did it help...

[moonlight-flyer]

Thanks for the reply. When I was around 4 or 5 I had a cough and was diagnosed with asthma. I was prescribed a blue inhaler which I never used once but my mum kept getting them up until I was 13 for some reason.
Two years ago I went to my GP and I had to blow into a device which (I think) measured the force of my breathing? Anyway she told me that I didn't have asthma.
Is there anyway I can prove I never had asthma. I read that they can x-ray your lungs and if you ever had asthma it should have left a scar.
I have never experienced symptoms of asthma. I have never had an attack or breathlessness. I play sports several times per week and never experience any trouble.

[Scottish.CPL]

ok,

it going to depend, for pilot, legaly u will fail based upon the fact you were prescribed an inhailer, regardless if used. As i say when you go to occupational health @cranwell u need to disclose it, i will go in you favour , second i would go to you gp and tell them the issue, u will no douint have to get your doctor to help on this, and if possible the origional doctor that saw you, thats might be a tough one,

as i say im not a doctor, but a commercial pilot and know guys with similar issues and i tell them what the rule books say, im going to asmue cranwell will made an issue other the asthma and they have to, also depending on the circumstances at that point when you saw the origional doctor for them to made the clinical diagnoses u needed help to clear you airway, could have been a reaction, air bourne virus at the mind, so all might not be lost, but u will need to be awaire there will be a battle over this.. u can check the medcial standards online throug the raf website, and google raf acticles with asthma..

hope that helps..

[gingernut]

There isn't really a single test we use to diagnose "asthma."

The diagnosis is usually made after taking several things into consideration-type of symptoms, eg wheeze, breathlessness, cough, duration of these symptoms, frequency of these symptoms and the severity of these symptoms.

Other things give us pointer, for example the response to established asthma treatments such as inhalers and steroid medicine, and some tests we perform can be useful (eg peak flow recordings.) X-rays are generally not useful. I'd expect your doc, (and the boys in the RAF), to be working to the BTS Asthma quidelines. (Google it and select quick reference)

In my many years of dealing with asthma, I've never diagnosed asthma in a 2 year old......it's quite impossible to get the information you require from this age group. There are "barn door" cases, but it doesn't sound like you fit into that category..

It is possible to have an entry in your notes changed, it'd be helpful if you could let the GP know of the importance of any innacuracies. (Although the reason for deletion would be recorded).

I think what may set you back, is the prescribing history involving the blue inhaler. If it's been prescribed, the doc won't (or at least shouldn't) ammend that entry.

As a matter of interest, do the RAF medical people ask for patients notes? I've never been asked to release any, and when I went for my Class 2, I ticked a sheet which relied on my honesty alone.

[Bad medicine]

The cases that I have seen where there is a doubtful previous diagnosis, or where that applicant states that they have had no symptoms nor medication use for a number of years, are usually sorted out through the use of a respiratory challenge test. These are a way to determine the bronchial reactivity of the individual. There are a number of protocols used, and these vary by regulatory authority (civ/mil/etc). All have there limitations of sensitivity vs specificity, but are the best we have in an objective assessment. I always do these in conjunction with a urinary salbutamol/terbutaline assay to help to ensure that the test results take into account any current medication use.

Cheers,

BM

[Scottish.CPL]

im the long term, u will have a battle with any RAF medical, because u are after pilot category you will be unfortunatly refused, civil class 1 medical no issue.

i know you will be disapointed, but we have to be honest..

like gingernut rightly said, becuase you had a prescription for the blue inhaler and was dispensed for you, the medical records will legaly stand.

best of luck.

[moonlight-flyer]

What do you mean by "civil class 1 medical no issue" Does it mean that there is no issue if I gain a class 1? Or does it mean I won't be issued with a class 1?

[turbowhat]

CAA will issue a class 1 medical to people with an history of asthma, it all depends on a lot of things severity of it etc, but if your history is as you say, as civil medical should be no problem..

[Scottish.CPL]

thank you turbowat.

civil pilot, ok, raf pilot no chance.

[moonlight-flyer]

Goodbye dream hello mediocre office job:O
I was wondering why a class one wouldn't be enough for the RAF.

[Scottish.CPL]

its the legalities buddy, caa deal on athsma on a case by case situation, but the airfoce have to rule out on it,

Goodbye dream hello mediocre office job, dont take that attitude with it, u can still fly just not in the airforce, many people set their dreams on the RAF and fall based on a medical issue, thats a fault with nature, it would be different is it was aptitude.

get a JAA class 1 medical so u know your fit, and then start to work towards your goals,.

:D

[Aerouk]

I was wondering why a class one wouldn't be enough for the RAF.

They simply just aren't interested and would rather select those that don't have any history therefore no risk.

It's a shame because, as I've said on numerous other posts, it's not a problem for any other air force.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Admittedly this was all some years ago, but...

I was binned from an RAF Flying Scholarship cos my Dad insisted I admitted to having had asthma as a child, though gone since puberty.

Three or four years later I joined the RN as aircrew and they didn't bat an eyelid over it.

Three years later (1985) I tried to get a Class1 at CAA house, but the Senior CAA examiner refused it....due to "childhood asthma" and the results of a peak-flow test! No amount of reasoning that I'd been through all that Naval training, wings etc and passed fit to fly FJ at 40,000', nothing would change this fool of an ex-Crab's mind (for that's what he was).

I got a friendly avmed doctor on side and all I had to do was to learn the correct technique on the peak flow meter (technique helps on these things) and after a violent 10 minute yelling-and-shouting argument with Chief Doc Crabtwat and actually putting his career on the line the junior CAA doc I'd seen for the retest persuaded the blinkered old buffoon there was no reason to deny me a medical. I wish I knew that Doctor's name so I could thank him.

Clearly the RAF still has a bug up it's arse over Asthma, but good peak flow is usually considered a clear indication of no Asthma history.

But you never know with stuffy organizations - so try the Navy too. It's a damn sight more fun anyway, or go for a civil career, but avoid the ex-RAF doctors on the medical board!

[HercFeend]

Moonlight flyer, please speak to your doctor, the RAF recruiters and or an RAF MO (if you can) and get the actual facts for your specific case.

Although the guys and girls on this forum are knowledgeable they can not give you a definitive answer to this question for your specific circumstance, nor should they try and nor should you accept anything anyone on here tells you 'as gospel'.

No offence to anyone who has taken the time to help you here but this is your future, your life and your career and I'd hate to think you decided against following your dream without FULL investigation because of the advise you received on a forum.......

Get out there young man and find out the answers from people who are in a position to give you the answers you need.

BUT: Just my two cents, I wouldn't tell them! As Agaricus said, they only found out about his Asthma because he told them about it..... :}

[homonculus]

Absolutely spot on HercFeend. This thread is very misleading

Bad medicine is correct BUT this work which arose from a massive study of Finnish conscripts only works if you have had asthma in the last few months.

In my opinion, you have not had asthma based on your history. You had a cough and a GP gave you an inhaler which you only used once. There is no record of peak flows when you presented nor when you used the inhaler. The fact that a prescription was issued is irrelevant, the issue is whether you took the drug and you did not.

If you can also say that the cough lasted only days or weeks, it is far more likely to have been an infection rather than asthma.

Taking all this together, the prescribing of an inhaler may have been sensible but wrong, and there is no evidence of asthma.

you may well be refused if you TOOK an inhaler, but you didnt. Check it out.

I would also recommend that before you apply you ask to see your notes - you have a legal right to do so - and ensure there is nothing you disagree with. You also have a right to add an amendment if you disagree, but if you never saw the doctor again for asthma and there is no further entry about asthma that too suggests the initial hypothesis was wrong.

Best wishes

[Bad medicine]

I think this thread has just about reached its logical conclusion. There is a lot of information here: some correct, some incorrect, and some barely intelligible. In the end moonlight-flyer, the only one that can give you a definite answer is the regulatory authority involved, be that civilian or military.
Always remember what it says at the top of every page of the Medical & Health forum - "Any information gleaned from this forum MUST be backed up by consulting your state-registered health professional or AME."

Cheers,

BM