Exercise induced asthma.
- Thread starter Brandane
- Start date
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- Location
- Glasgow
@Brandane I've never got it investigated, but all my life if I exert myself physically I get an attack of something like asthma.
I can't breathe, gasp for air, need to stop whatever exercise I'm doing, till I recover.
It doesn't take me long to recover, in fact I had an attack while on tour in the Lake District with @Fubar and the CC posse, nobody noticed.
I was trying to catch up the big boys uphill
I didn't know I was so inclined, because I tend not to do extreme (for my capability) exercise.
I started to notice my limitations when we did the CC Ecosse rides.
I remember the first time it happened I was a primary school child, but my parents dismissed it because I was overweight, as in serves me right for being fat lol those were the old days.
Then it never happened again till many years later, when I started cycling with groups faster than me.
Are you worried because of your other condition?
Or because you want to be faster on the bike?
Do you have attacks even when you exercise within your limits?
I can't breathe, gasp for air, need to stop whatever exercise I'm doing, till I recover.
It doesn't take me long to recover, in fact I had an attack while on tour in the Lake District with @Fubar and the CC posse, nobody noticed.
I was trying to catch up the big boys uphill
I didn't know I was so inclined, because I tend not to do extreme (for my capability) exercise.
I started to notice my limitations when we did the CC Ecosse rides.
I remember the first time it happened I was a primary school child, but my parents dismissed it because I was overweight, as in serves me right for being fat lol those were the old days.
Then it never happened again till many years later, when I started cycling with groups faster than me.
Are you worried because of your other condition?
Or because you want to be faster on the bike?
Do you have attacks even when you exercise within your limits?
Sorry to hear of your own issues Pat.
FWIW, mine only started 2 years ago following a chest infection. First time out after it, I tried to go up a hill and just could not catch my breath. Long story short, it has remained like that ever since. I have had x-rays, a CT scan, a Spyrometer test, and now a CPET test (cardio pulmonary exercise test).
I was more worried that it might be a cardio problem, so in a way I am happy that it is "only" asthma and there is a possibility that I will be able to control it with meds/inhaler.
Do I want to be faster on the bike? No, I couldn't care less. But I would like to get back to doing a reasonable distance. Touring is much more my bag than trying to go fast.
Do I have attacks when I exercise within my limits - yes. Even walking up a street with an uphill incline for a few hundred yards can bring it on, and it will take me about 30 minutes to get anywhere near normal breathing again.
- Location
- Glasgow
Oh, that sounds really bad, sorry to read it 🤗
I thought exercise induced asthma manifests when one exercises hard.
Did the docs tell you it's that for sure?
Obviously the chest infection left something behind.
I know someone that had the same shortness of breath after having had Covid, I remember him saying that he could not even take the stairs.
A young chap, early 30's, a keen runner.
He solved it by bursting his lungs for 6 months, he would not accept it.
Eventually, after a few months of pushing himself, his body went back to normal.
Of course youth was on his side, I'm not saying you should do the same, I certainly would not.
Do you have the results of the CPET test?
But like I said, being "just" asthma is preferable to finding it was a heart issue, or lung disease.
Not in my case. I don't exercise particularly hard. Just enough to get me up hills (of which there are a lot here as you know!).
I won't be doing that! I have been told to avoid triggering this until I have been prescribed the correct meds. That won't happen until at least the end of March when I next see the consultant. So no exercise other than gentle walking for the foreseeable. No big deal, I haven't done a lot for 2 years now. Much of my cycling miles have been on an e-bike (which don't really count IMHO).
Not officially, just what I was able to lever out of hospital staff. Official results only happen after diagnosis of all the readings from the tests, and I get to see the consultant in late March. But medical staff seemed quite confident, and I am happy to cling to that in the hope that I might be able to do some proper cycling later this year. And - hopefully get travel insurance which I haven't been able to do for 2 years due to being "under investigation for an unknown medical condition".
Yep, had it for as long as I can remember. These days it usually only triggers with extreme exertion, cats/dogs or with very cold air - I have to wear a snood over my mouth and nose in anything below about 8 degrees C. Part of dealing with it is learning your limitations and what might trigger it. If I'm pacing myself and working within my limits I'm usually OK.
The other thing that really helps and also helps get breathing back to normal is the fact that I breathe properly. And by properly I mean that I always breathe using the full extent of my lungs. Why? About 10 years of singing lessons 3 of which were with a professional opera singer. He taught me how to support my voice - part of which is learning to breathe and activate the diaphragm. Think of your lungs like great big bags. Most people just take air in to the top bit. They breathe from the chest. Anyone who has trained in voice projection* and can do it well breathes deeply from the diaphragm. More like filling the lungs as if from a kettle - the sensation is like filling up the lungs from the bottom.
Also watch our for coughs and colds - once your lungs have become sensitive (asthma is just your lungs being sensitive to something and thus becoming temporarily inflamed) in my experience you tend to be more prone to them going to your chest and becoming wheezy.
*or has trained to a high level as an athlete
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
I have asthma
I take Fostair every morning - if I forget for some reason and go cycling afterwards then I generally notice as soon as reach even the slightlest uphill bit - I just start breathing differently and not deeply
Over the years I have learned to recognise it and stop and have a couple of puffs of Ventolin - which sort it out
In my case assuming I start off OK I can carry one just fine
not - lets ot clear - this is an ebike - but I do ride it on the lowest assist level - and sometime knowck it off and forget to put it back on
but generally I ride home just fine once I am started
Then I get home - open the gate and get my bike in the shed and all locked up - all fine
Go in and change my shoes
probably make a cuppa and then get short of breath - several minutes AFTER I stop doing any exercise
the Ventolin fixes it
doesn;t heppen much but it does happen every now and again - I it is not predictable
Point is that without the Fostair I get short of breath
with ti I might do - but only generally after exercise
apparently this is not unusual
but people vary a lot - so you need to work out how things work for you
I take Fostair every morning - if I forget for some reason and go cycling afterwards then I generally notice as soon as reach even the slightlest uphill bit - I just start breathing differently and not deeply
Over the years I have learned to recognise it and stop and have a couple of puffs of Ventolin - which sort it out
In my case assuming I start off OK I can carry one just fine
not - lets ot clear - this is an ebike - but I do ride it on the lowest assist level - and sometime knowck it off and forget to put it back on
but generally I ride home just fine once I am started
Then I get home - open the gate and get my bike in the shed and all locked up - all fine
Go in and change my shoes
probably make a cuppa and then get short of breath - several minutes AFTER I stop doing any exercise
the Ventolin fixes it
doesn;t heppen much but it does happen every now and again - I it is not predictable
Point is that without the Fostair I get short of breath
with ti I might do - but only generally after exercise
apparently this is not unusual
but people vary a lot - so you need to work out how things work for you
I've had asthma (and all the associated shite - respiratory allergies, eczema...) since I was a kid.
Used to be that I'd use the "reliever" inhailer daily; often multiple times. Attacks would manifest seemingly randomly, but were defiintely precipitated by exercise along with cold air and airbourne allergens. Usually it was manageable but never pleasant, and it did see me in A&E once.
Several years ago amid a raft of highly unpleaseant chronic allergy symptoms I started looking at diet. the short of it is I'm basically allergic to everything, however cutting out a few specific antagonists (namely nightshades so potatos / tomatos / peppers / chillis etc) and minimising others (grains, spices, seed oils) has essentially "cured" the asthma completely.
I still get very occasional episodes but these are very infrequent, typically mild and almost exclusively after I've eaten something I shouldn't.
Likewise due to my inability to control my diet the other allergy symptoms haven't gone away completely, but are usually significantly less horrible than they were.
Do you get any other symptoms besides the asthma - watering eyes, nose, inflammation, aching joints, eczema...? These are the most common and obvious but I think being in a constant state of allergic reaction brings other wide-reaching and significant (if sometimes subtle) problems that affect digestion, cognition, mood...
Used to be that I'd use the "reliever" inhailer daily; often multiple times. Attacks would manifest seemingly randomly, but were defiintely precipitated by exercise along with cold air and airbourne allergens. Usually it was manageable but never pleasant, and it did see me in A&E once.
Several years ago amid a raft of highly unpleaseant chronic allergy symptoms I started looking at diet. the short of it is I'm basically allergic to everything, however cutting out a few specific antagonists (namely nightshades so potatos / tomatos / peppers / chillis etc) and minimising others (grains, spices, seed oils) has essentially "cured" the asthma completely.
I still get very occasional episodes but these are very infrequent, typically mild and almost exclusively after I've eaten something I shouldn't.
Likewise due to my inability to control my diet the other allergy symptoms haven't gone away completely, but are usually significantly less horrible than they were.
Do you get any other symptoms besides the asthma - watering eyes, nose, inflammation, aching joints, eczema...? These are the most common and obvious but I think being in a constant state of allergic reaction brings other wide-reaching and significant (if sometimes subtle) problems that affect digestion, cognition, mood...
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Sterlo
Early Retirement Planning
- Location
- East Riding of Yorkshire
Never had asthma but had bronchitis about 10 years ago and have struggled with breathing during exercise ever since. They did put me on an inhaler when needed (Ventolin if I recall) but I stopped using it after a couple of years. I often wish I'd kept one for when I'm struggling. I was thinking about trying one of those breathing exercisers you can buy to see if I can improve my lung capacity but have never got around to it. Hope it doesn't affect your enjoyment of cycling too much.
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
I developed asthma in my mid 30s whilst marathon training. The symptoms were shortness of breath and endless raspy dry coughing which just never went away.
I had done lots of sport as a child and young adult without any issue. But the long constant runs just seemed to put stress on the lungs.
I now take my brown inhaler every day. Hardly ever use the blue one unless I am struggling with a chest infection.
Autumn/ winter is the worse time for me, as the cold puts additional pressure on the lungs.
I had done lots of sport as a child and young adult without any issue. But the long constant runs just seemed to put stress on the lungs.
I now take my brown inhaler every day. Hardly ever use the blue one unless I am struggling with a chest infection.
Autumn/ winter is the worse time for me, as the cold puts additional pressure on the lungs.
rualexander
Legendary Member
I developed mild asthma in the early days of covid when I had some weird symptoms before there was covid testing available.
But a week or two later I had mild wheeziness and coughing and throat clearing while exercising.
GP initially prescribed me Ventolin inhaler to take as and when required (didn't get any lung testing as it was all on hold due to covid) ,and that helped a lot. This was hoped to be a short term post viral thing but turned out to be long term and I was then prescribed the preventer inhaler (clenil modulite). And after I started taking that all symptoms pretty much disappeared and hardly touched the Ventolin since.
Finally got lung function tests done last year, three years after initial problem!
Spirometry was inconclusive, as I was already on the preventer inhaler.
Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FENO) test was just below borderline, so they asked me to drop my inhaler dose in half and do it again in a month, and that time the FENO test was above normal and they concluded it was indeed asthma.
But with the preventer inhaler at correct dosage for me, I have no issues.
But a week or two later I had mild wheeziness and coughing and throat clearing while exercising.
GP initially prescribed me Ventolin inhaler to take as and when required (didn't get any lung testing as it was all on hold due to covid) ,and that helped a lot. This was hoped to be a short term post viral thing but turned out to be long term and I was then prescribed the preventer inhaler (clenil modulite). And after I started taking that all symptoms pretty much disappeared and hardly touched the Ventolin since.
Finally got lung function tests done last year, three years after initial problem!
Spirometry was inconclusive, as I was already on the preventer inhaler.
Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FENO) test was just below borderline, so they asked me to drop my inhaler dose in half and do it again in a month, and that time the FENO test was above normal and they concluded it was indeed asthma.
But with the preventer inhaler at correct dosage for me, I have no issues.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
Interesting to hear - thanks
not surprised to have trouble keeping to the exclusions - sounds a lot of nice stuff!
best wishes anyway
Yes, a bronchodilator when i need it (e.g. I like a terbutaline sulphate inhaler - similar to Ventolin), but I don't need it very often.
I needed it a lot more when I was a child but we had contributory factors like my dad's constant pipe smoking and having two cats. Once I moved away to Uni it improved a lot! But cold mornings and bad colds always remind me that it's there, lurking, like a rake in the grass...
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
I strongly suggest that you go to your GP and ask for a Ventalin inhaler
They last ages and when you get used to the symptoms they are great at suppressing them before you get short of breath
I hardly ever use mine but always carry it because I need it at unpredictable times - and a quick puff as soon as I feel my breathing if getting shallow helps a lot and prevents things getting worse
