Just been diagnosed with asthma

Hi .
I am 47 years old . I have never smoked and always been active .
Recently I had problems with mucous build up in my chest and raspy breathing , coupled with an habitual cough .
After tests , I have been diagnosed with Asthma and now have to take a preventative inhaler + Ventolin .

I have to say that the treatment given has shown immediate improvement with my breathing and I had my first full night sleep in a while , last night .

Is it unusual for somebody my age to develope this or am I just another victim of our environment ?
I cycle to and from work along busy roads and I'm thinking that breathing in exhaust fumes for extended periods has probably been a contributing factor.

Your thoughts, please ?

reply to post by dawnprince


First of all, I stopped having asthma attacks when I began smoking... Nicotine does the same job Ventolin does, but it doesn't harden the part of your lungs that needs to be relaxed. If I smoke too much, I WILL have asthma attacks, tho. Like everything in life, it is about dosage.

Secondly, the best exercise I developed as a kid is, when I feel obstructed, to fill my lungs slowly, then release it in a slow, controlled way, until I do not have air anymore. But as I expel my air, I contract slowly my chest muscles. If done well, you will hear bubbling sounds coming from your mouth.

NEXT! You try very hard not to cough. If you feel the need to, stop the expelling, and wait for the coughing feeling to go, then proceed to finish the exercise. It's very important you do not cough at this point.

When you take the next breath of air, do it slowly so you do not "throw back down" the mucus that has begun to leave your lungs.

Repeat the exercise between 3 to 5 times, and then you can cough, and everything will clear, mucus all coming out at the same time. It is, essentially coughing in a very slow manner, and it is effective.

It is the less painful way I know without using medicine to clear my lungs. And you can do it in a bus and no one will notice.

Also, I exercised to hold my breath as long as possible underwater, in pools, and to extinguish a candle by blowing at it from 25 feet away. Why? Because when you have an asthma attack, you fall short on air, and you need to be able to function with a minimum until your lungs are cleared, or you risk panicking and block even more.

Don't forget some hockey players also suffer from asthma and can still play in the NHL.

It's a bummer, but if you take the time to manage it, no one will really know. I'm 42, and some people are surprised to learn I'm asthmatic.

About the cigarette thing, I'm not encouraging you to start smoking, just an ignored fact, by many, I've stumbled upon in my life.


So, lastly, the most important thing to remember when you have an attack is to breath as slowly as possible as it will cut down any burning sensations, and prevent the impression of total blockage. It will allow you to GET air into your body.

Take care!
Nowan

PS: Rereading your OP, I don't know if it is usual to get asthma at your age.

the air in most cities is equal to smoking 1/2 to full pack of cigs - daily.

thats how bad the air quality can be. look in asian cities how they wear masks religiously while outdoors.

indoor plants help filter inside air, as do ionizers with washable or disposable filters.

be well.

May well be something in the air.

I had asthma is a kid, but I grew up in a house where the adults smoked inside.

The asthma went away when I was around 15, when I started smoking myself. But around this time, my mother had a new boyfriend who didn't smoke, so nobody smoked inside. So I worked out that constant passive smoke from an enclosed area was far worse for me than occasionally having a filtered cigarette myself.

So since you don't, and never have smoked, I'd say something in the air is not agreeing with you.

reply to post by NowanKenubi

Hi Nowan.
Thank you so very much for your reply and the excercise tips. I will try them and let you know how I fair .
Clearing the mucous has been a real problem and hopefully your suggestions will help .

Thanks again

reply to post by dawnprince

Sorry to hear that, there is hope though. Google paleo diet and primal blueprint. It's shocking just how much the things you eat can affect your body.
Give it a go, because its better than having to rely on drugs.

reply to post by NuclearPaul


Thank you .
Curious how you and another poster have both stated that smoking has helped them . Maybe this needs some serious research ?

reply to post by SprocketUK


Hi Sprocket .
Thank you for your advice . I will look it up and give it a go .

Cheers

isnt nicotine a vasoconstrictor? that would be why there is a temporary shrinking of alveoli.

but nicotine is a toxic poison, and it causes strokes, heart attacks in even the tiniest doses.

if ur meds aren't working and monitoring allergens, air quality, then maybe ur doc needs to follow up.

all the best, again.

reply to post by BiggerPicture


Chemo is also toxic and helps fight cancers...

Toxic products, around 3000, are added to tobacco, which contains nicotine. But of course, only nicotine is toxic...

so nicotine is a medical therapy like chemo?

please link..

Hello DP

I'm 43 years old and have been reasonablly active in my life.
I suffer similar symptoms to what you have described although I have not felt the need to go to the Doc's to get it checked out.....
I live in an old building, way out in the counrtyside surrounded by animals and also now ride horses frequently....... I do get a build up of mucus and in the mornings I do sometimes have to clear my chest.
I did discover a few years back that I apparently have slightly 'larger' lungs than the average person and so maybe that lends itself to allergies etc etc............. BUT to my point............

Having been to Dubai recently, I bought a Sheesha pipe back as a momento and my girlfriend and I actually have a go once every 3 or 4 weeks ............ funny because I have never smoked in my life and my girlfriend is a former Olymipic international runner......but we both get great satisfaction out of it and YES..it does clear my airways brilliantly........

I would never have smoked cigarettes or other stuff BUT I do think that this "Arabian' form of smoking, done once a month might have more benefits than we give it credit...

Just my thoughts...

Regards

PDUK


PS - I go swimming (and surfing in Wales when weather is warmer) and that also helps me out alot too....

reply to post by PurpleDog UK


Wow, interesting reply . Thank you .

Is your G/F famous ? lol

lol, hookah? i do that once a month too.

and maybe a puff off clove cigarette, but any smoking has some amount of tar and microscopic 'fiberglass' shards that can build up in the lungs so its riskee.

the less particulates including smoke, i would think the better the lung condition. the more, and the closer u get to being a living chimney

as for e-cigs, and nicotine patches, im scared to death of them cause of people in the family who have had ER near- death experiences with nicotine overdoses. apparently theres alot of overdose deaths associated with ecigs and patches. sad

reply to post by dawnprince


DP

In her country of origin yes........but I would rather not give out more details....but she is FIT..;-)) cheers.....

Regarding the Sheesha pipe.......... because you are filtering through water then the general idea is that acts to remove some of the more 'solid' polluants and toxins (re FB shards etc) however I think that all smoking carries a risk......... Maybe the quality of the tobacco is important....

The stuff we brought back is wet to the touch (although it is also flavoured - so probably has loads of crap in it??) BUT when setup correctly, it does not feel harsh at all...... Other friends of ours, who are smokers, have said how different and smoooth (?) it is when compared to their everyday cigarettes....

However I do work within the hospital arena and I recently spoke to a Respiratory Bronchoscopist who said regular Sheesha usage (2 / 3 times per week) will cause MORE damage than even the worst cigarettes on the market....

I guess moderation is the key and like I said, we do it only once a month......... smoking the pipe that is.......... god, even that sounds wrong !!!!!

Anyway, you get the idea...........

Regards

PDUK

Check into candida albicans.......it's an over growth of bad yeast in the bowls. I doubt it's asthma friend. Find a good natual doctor get some tests done. food allergies can cause symptoms like you are experiencing....
If you can't afford a doctor to help, research it......plenty of info on the web about it and how to gain control.

Avoid any and all sugars, starches, grains for about a week. Drink a gallon of water a day and take vitamin c about 1500 milligrams 3 times a day. Die off can be bad and make you ill, also a probiotic as well as an anti fungal, anti bacterial like nystatin is recommended. But a script is needed.....oregano oil might help due to its natural properties.

Let me know how it goes.........

LotS

reply to post by Leaderofthesheeple


Thanks for your reply and your input .
I have already stated that the prescribed medications are working very well , so I doubt it could be allergy driven unless pollen related .

Regards.

Originally posted by dawnprince
Hi .
I am 47 years old . I have never smoked and always been active .
Recently I had problems with mucous build up in my chest and raspy breathing , coupled with an habitual cough .
After tests , I have been diagnosed with Asthma and now have to take a preventative inhaler + Ventolin .

I have to say that the treatment given has shown immediate improvement with my breathing and I had my first full night sleep in a while , last night .

Is it unusual for somebody my age to develope this or am I just another victim of our environment ?
I cycle to and from work along busy roads and I'm thinking that breathing in exhaust fumes for extended periods has probably been a contributing factor.

Your thoughts, please ?

edit on 11-4-2012 by dawnprince because: (no reason given)

Research and try the Buteyko method. I know it works for a couple of relatives.

I've not heard of smoking helping with asthma.

I grew up with a chain smoking Dad and I did indeed have asthma, bad enough to be hospitalised after my lips turned blue. That feeling of not being able to breath is very scary and your natural reaction is to struggle.

The best thing to do is try to relax and concentrate on your breathing.

Luckily I grew out of it and now as a smoker, I don't get any breathing problems.

What made mine trigger in a BAD way was certain chemicals in fruit juice. (edit: additives, not pure fruit juice)

reply to post by troubleshooter


Thanks pal .
Just looking it up on Wiki