[Closed] Exercise induced asthma

Yep

Yup, seems to be more likely if it is a cold morning too.

Yeah, had an inhaler and an appointment to go back but it's all in hold.

Worse when cold and when going from cold to warm. Its a standard joke on the mnpr I've got TB

Ah OK. Think OH might have it. I know she needs to go to the docs but she is worse than me in that respect.

She has had a few episodes last winter and this winter/spring where when she starts go exert on climbs she gets unusually short of breath. Says it feels like her throat is closing up and she ends up with a really hoarse voice.

Does that fit the symptoms?

Been asthmatic from childhood, now entering late ‘6os🙀. Both son and daughter are sufferers, both are actively fit by going to the gym, running and swimming.
May, or may not be asthma, could be stress/anxiety? Need to work out trigger situations. Buy a peak flow meter and record efforts. May also be dietary/ allergies to something🤷🏽‍♀️
https://www.asthma.org.uk/

My biggest issue nowadays is with the resurgence of the “greens” using renewables as they like to call them ie coal, wood etc. There is a reason why many councils/government went to gas... poluttion, health problems caused by what is now becoming the norm, old houses opening up their fire 🔥 places🤡😡🤬

Yep, was diagnosed when I was 9months old and spent the next 2 years in and out of hospital on various machines to keep me alive. It's the reason I started cycling as while exercise induces it a good level of fitness also controls it. Also have other triggers like Trekster says, anything from high stress levels to just overindulging in junk. Currently sat in bed after getting wheezy whilst asleep, taken my inhaler and now have to wait 30 mins or so for the fluid in my lungs to clear before I can nod off again. Regular occurrence this time of year due to hayfever. If my fitness drops off I get nasty attacks as it becomes more than just exercise induced. Yes I'm bricking it in the current climate as I'm in the 'at risk' group and if I can't keep riding to a certain level regularly I get rather bad attacks regularly! Haven't had a nasty attack for over a year and they are bloody scary when they happen, coughing up yellow phlegm and the chest tightening uncontrollably.

Her symptoms could be the early onset of asthma or an allergy to something but you need the docs to help with figuring out which, could even be both! The cold air can lead to issues when exerting yourself, the lungs don't like it too much so that could be a sign it is asthma. Get her to see the docs when she can and remind her that there are a lot of athletes that have gone on to be very successful despite being asthmatic (not just seemingly every pro roadie either). It is controllable with the right approach which is different for everyone, learn how to manage it and it won't limit her in any way for day-to-day life. Good luck.

Edited to add my childhood asthma was not exercise induced initially but I "grew out of it" at around 7 years old. It's now classed as exercise induced. Any time I'm off the bike due to injury or illness and I slip back into the chronic category.

Yep, exercise, pets and dust. also dairy, wheat and soya highly intolerant. (hospital blood tests)
exercise has actually helped long term, gives me a larger base to lose before attacks and greater warning time.

The devil is also the cure.
Which is also the case with foods, some things like coffee really screw me up. But if I lay off for a month, then little by little reintroduce I get a period of being able to enjoy before Wham, a combo of above floors me and I have to start from ground zero.

raising money for Ashma UK in this year’s London Marathon- 1K so far.

I have suffered in the past but only when I've pushed really hard, like competing on athletics track, 400m being a particular distance to bring it on! I remember at Salisbury many years ago, telling the team captain I did not want to run the 400, he agreed .... he entered me as anchor in the 4x400 instead!

Yep, but mine only appears at very specific times, namely cold mornings when exercising hard. I also almost always cough after exercise.
I’ve had it forever and it doesn’t bother me at all, I know when it’s coming so carry an inhaler on those occasions.
It’s certainly nothing to worry about and is very easy to manage.

Thanks folks! Good to hear it can be managed. I will press her to see a doc when she can. Just read another article that named a couple of other conditions that cause the same symptoms and it said proper testing is important as doctors often misdiagnose some of them as asthma.

Youngest_oab does. Cold mornings and hayfever trigger it.
As he gets bigger and fitter, he's realising it's not that bad and he really has to push hard to trigger anything.

I think I might have it, but not got tested as it's rare - hard efforts like hills or attempts at time trialling, especially on cold mornings or before I'm properly warmed up, my breathing goes ragged, chest tightness, and I develop a wheeze that others can hear. Feel a bit panicked by it at times, but I've learned to stay below the trigger point.

Possibly not helped by having a deviated septum that affects my breathing as well. No desire to have it straightened unless it gets broken by accident

Hey Jordan - can you do a link to the reports please? I've had Asthma for a good while and the nurse told me at my last face to face meeting (pre-zombie apocalypse) that exercise induced A is now called poorly managed A. I also got placed on a bonus nasal spray that has done loads to get my peak flow to the dizzy heights of 350 sometimes!
It does show that with proper management, you don't have limits - I've done a few good rides with an inhaler tucked in my shorts over the years!

The drugs do work.

I have it's pretty mild thankfully. All I have to do is take a couple of puffs form a Ventolin inhaler "before" I excercise. Excercise apart I never get asthma, just occasionall mild wheezing.

Most of the professional peloton have some degree of EIA.

Had if during my childhood, was also induced by dust. Wasn't very severe, but enough to impair my ability to play with other kids in certain occasions, which was a bummer.

Luckily, that went away the precise moment puberty started, changed my life forever

Jesus,you only blow 350 rob,that seems low to me.I was slightly concerned I,m down to 540!Perhaps the flow meter isn't the be all and end all of the matter.I should go and visit the asthma nurse.

And thats why I'm staying in! Have got a turbo trainer and not frightened to use it. The readings are correct on my PF device and as I've had this for ages , I won't rush back to the nurse atm, no real point in bothering them right now.

Virtually certain EIA costs me a number of places at each cyclocross race I enter, by lap three I'm usually a wheezing mess and need to stop to let my lungs catch up, proper whistling in my throat experience. Am prone to coughing after hard rides throughout the year as well.

Have tried to improve my warm-ups and apparently have been tapering wrong, should have been doing a short hard turbo session the day before a race, although not sure if that would help with asthma or just general performance.

Would be nicer to just get an inhaler and be able to ride my hardest, just haven't got round to seeing the doctor about it. Is it simple enough to get an inhaler? (post-Covid 19 etc.).

Yeh,no problems on that score.I must admit my breathing wasn't great cycling into the wind the other day.The cool windy northeast weather is not great for asthmatics.

Yup, diagnoses age 22 but looking back the first symptoms were over a year prior. I can easily show a change in peak flow when I exercise without an inhaler.

I just take two puffs salbutamol before exercise and all is good (I all have corticosteriods morning and night).

They might have recently changed guidance, or our practice's new asthma nurse isn't as good, but last time I had a check up I was getting pushed towards more aggressive medication to lower the number of times I use salbutamol. If I cycle to work twice a week and do something at the weekend, that's 5 doses a week which is "badly managed". Yet when I do spirometry at work (I'm subject to health surveillance because of my asthma). I'm hitting above expected values and have the lungs of someone over 10 years younger.

I also use a powerbreathe, which I find helps reduce symptoms. When I'm fit (and using the powerbreathe most days) I can manage fine without my inhaler for light to moderate exercise.

Anybody know if 540 is reasonable for a chunky 57 year old mountain biker?I have no idea what I could or should be blowing.On a positive note I find weight training before I go out improves my breathing.

This doesn't adjust for weight, but check here:
https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/breathing-tests/peak-flow

@robcolliver sorry mate, been looking through my history and can't find it now for some reason. It wasn't really a report as such just an article similar to this one about VCD which is one of the conditions mentioned in the other one I saw.

Since early teens. Now on daily steroid (Flixotide) and ventolin / salbutamol reliever. Also use the ventolin as a preventative (take it before exercise). Combo of exercise and common allergies (cats, dust etc)

Work into some particular things (that I know trigger) slowly and am usually fine. Play squash and no real issue, even without vent'. Biking can be a bugger and running an absolute shit. Manage biking by pacing my start and vent' beforehand, running is vent' too, pace start and buff.

Deal with the cold (and I believe might also be "dry") air by pulling a buff up over nose & mouth. Warms and wets air and works well for me, especially when running. Some might struggle with the slight (or perceived) "resistance" to breathing through fabric. I persevered and it made cold / winter running significantly better, for me.

Regular running makes the most difference to my overall feeling of "lung health". Others may vary.

Overall it's nothing to panic about. Find your triggers, find what works, do it, try and chillax 😉 Stressing never helps, quite literally with for many asthmatics.

I used to. Put up with it and took my blue inhaler before/after exercise and mostly forgot to take the brown. Then one day I had a mandatory appointment with the asthma nurse before I could get a repeat prescription who gave me a purple inhaler (wish I could remember the drug, but I can't) and said to take something like four puffs twice a day for two months.

That was seven or so years ago now. I've used a blue inhaler twice since.

2nd the buff on cold days, over my mouth. I also just try breathe through my nose if it's really cold. Steady away too; Good 10 or 15 min warm up.

Swimming, as well as learning all my triggers, has been the best thing for my asthma.