I am 21 years old and have always had allergy problems although they have gotten significantly worse as I've gotten older. A couple years ago an allergist diagnosed me with asthma. I also found out that I am allergic to dust, ragweed and cigarette smoke to name a few. When I am in a dusty place I feel my chest tighten, it hurts to breathe, my throat feels sore and I am somewhat short of breath. I've been around a lot of dust lately (plus it's ragweed season) and my chest feels strange again. I cough and it feels like something is rattling way down deep. Allergies seem to trigger this and I"m not sure if this is the asthma or what. My family doctor gave me a prescription for ventillen (sp?) quite a while ago. It seems to help a little when I am having a coughing fit (that's been happening frequently too). Aside from the allergies, I can have coughing fits at any time if I do anything strenuous like running or even just laughing for a long period of time when I'm hanging out with my friends. I would really like to know if there is a way to control these symptoms. I feel really drained lately and I can't help but wonder if its my lack of asthma treatment that is causing it.
(one more thing: Sometimes I lay awake at night because my breathing just doesn't feel right. I breathe really fast and I can't fall asleep because of it, is that a symptom too?)
Thanks,
naomi

Hi there,

You should definitely be on a preventative inhaler such as flovent or pulmicort, etc. The ventolin should only be used as a rescue treatment, which you've been doing....but it won't help to keep the inflammation down or help you be less reactive.

Since you have extrinsic (external triggers) for your asthma, maybe a medication such as Singulair will help. It's an antileukotrine..a but different than an antihistamine, but could definitely help.

I get the fits of coughing when laughing too much or yelling or talking loudly. Even when on the pulmicort (which I use as a preventative inhaler), I still get it. If I need a hit of the rescue (Berotec), I just use one.

Do you take the ventolin before you go to bed? One spray might be enough to help your tight breathing...but it can also speed your heart rate a bit and make you a tad restless. I can relate to the tight feelings (not just right), and I sometimes am too lazy to get out of bed and get my inhaler, so I try a bit of a breathing exercise that works quite well.

I have read that when the breathing is too fast, one gets too much oxygen into the system and increases that tight feeling in the lungs. If the breathing were slowed down, it will produce more carbon dioxide and the breathing relaxes.

The exercise goes like this.....

1) take in a slow breath through your nose to the (imagined)count of 5
2) through pursed lips breathe out to the count of 5
3) do that 5 times
4) then take in another slow breath to the count of 5
5) hold it in to the count of 5
6) through pursed lips breathe out to the count of 5
7) do this 5 times

It will calm you down since you're trying to get to sleep, and relax your lungs as well, and hopefully get you to sleep.

If you're ever feeling tighter and not trying to "relax" as in trying to get to sleep, you can just do the breathe in to the count of 5 and hold it to the count of 5. Do that 5 times and that should help with the tight feeling. It's helped me as well.

Please do ask your doctor about the Singulair and the preventative inhaler. Overuse of an antihistamine can cause more tightness for some asthmatics.

Let us know how you're doing.

quincy

I AM NOT A DOCTOR! so don't take me seriously, but I think it sounds like asthma. A lot of what I go through. I would see an allergist & get some more info on allergy proofing your room(sounds like you could benefit from it), as well as a low dose daily inhaled steroid with a reliever inhaler just in case. The coughing is another story, i've found that my reliever inhaler makes my cough worse, but there is hope. You can take codeine at nite(BUT BE CAREFUL! some people are allergic & will wheeze worse, others may just be a bit sensitive & get depressed breathing) or there is also Tessalon perles, but they react funny w/ Singulair(or at least w/ me). Something that really helps me is steam, running a warm mist vaporizer in my room when i'm coughing REALLY helps! It helps more than any medication. However, you'll find when you get out of your triggers & get on good controller meds, you'll stop coughing, or at least as much.

I AM NOT A DOCTOR! so don't take me seriously, but I think it sounds like asthma. A lot of what I go through. I would see an allergist & get some more info on allergy proofing your room(sounds like you could benefit from it), as well as a low dose daily inhaled steroid with a reliever inhaler just in case. The coughing is another story, i've found that my reliever inhaler makes my cough worse, but there is hope. You can take codeine at nite(BUT BE CAREFUL! some people are allergic & will wheeze worse, others may just be a bit sensitive & get depressed breathing) or there is also Tessalon perles, but they react funny w/ Singulair(or at least w/ me). Something that really helps me is steam, running a warm mist vaporizer in my room when i'm coughing REALLY helps! It helps more than any medication. However, you'll find when you get out of your triggers & get on good controller meds, you'll stop coughing, or at least as much.

Canadachick:

I agree with Blondee 100% :wave: I've been an asthmatic for 20 yrs. I know from expereince that you are expereincing symptoms that are associated with chronic asthma. You need to see a pulmalogist :bouncing: . He will probably give you a test. Based on the results, he may consider putting you on some inhaled steriods(Flovent,Servent)and pills(Theo-dur) in order to control your allergy induced asthma.

(one more thing: Sometimes I lay awake at night because my breathing just doesn't feel right. I breathe really fast and I can't fall asleep because of it, is that a symptom too?)
Thanks,
naomi

The bed is considered the worst place for asthmatics.

I sleep wearing a round, surgeon's mask. It is not the most comfortable thing, but I've gotten used to it. It has really helped my asthma. I wake up in the morning without having that "pressure" feeling in my chest or labored breathing.

The bed is considered the worst place for asthmatics.

I sleep wearing a round, surgeon's mask. It is not the most comfortable thing, but I've gotten used to it. It has really helped my asthma. I wake up in the morning without having that "pressure" feeling in my chest or labored breathing.

Beer:

:wave: You have my sympathy :( . I could imagine that it is hard to sleep with a mask and all. I know that it is rough trying to breath at night firsthand.

In my case, I have had to allergy proof my room in order to make it good for sleeping. I have to had to do the following things to insure an asthma attack free night: take puffs of rescue inhaler, have bed sheets/quilts changed often, use a plastic mattress cover, and remove wall to wall carpet.

Beer:

:wave: You have my sympathy :( . I could imagine that it is hard to sleep with a mask and all.

After a while I don't even notice that it is on. If I don't wear the mask, not only do I wake up in the middle of the night with a tight chest, my heart is also misfiring. I wish I had discovered how well the mask worked for me a long time ago. It would have saved me MANY problematic nights.

I know that it is rough trying to breath at night firsthand.

Night used to be my worst time, for asthma, for my heart misfiring and for my blood pressure. Now I look forward to the night. This new love for the night will only become a problem if I suddenly also get a taste for blood! :eek:

In my case, I have had to allergy proof my room in order to make it good for sleeping. I have to had to do the following things to insure an asthma attack free night: take puffs of rescue inhaler, have bed sheets/quilts changed often, use a plastic mattress cover, and remove wall to wall carpet.

I seldom use the rescue inhaler since I've started wearing the mask. I also wear the mask at other times when I just start feeling tightness in my chest. Within 30 minutes, the tightness leaves. This implies that there is a problem with my inside air.

We also change our bed sheets and covers, as you do. But, I can't use any type of plastic mattress cover. The plastic bothers my asthma.

We've removed all of our wall to wall carpetting. We only use throw rugs that will fit in our washing machine.

Do you also have food allergies that effect your asthma? What is your daily asthma med? Does your heart misfire?

Thanks for your post. :wave:

Actually, breathing with a mask on would probably increase the carbon dioxide (you know like breathing into a bag when anxious)....I find this an interesting connection.

q

Actually, breathing with a mask on would probably increase the carbon dioxide (you know like breathing into a bag when anxious)....I find this an interesting connection.

q

You've got me thinking. When I exhale into the mask, I can feel my breath fairly strong coming through the outside of the mask. The mask is porous enough to let a lot of the exhalation leave, but that still leaves some carbon dioxide in the mask to be re-breathed.

Doctors and nurses wear these types of masks for hours, so I don't imagine the masks could be a health hazard. In fact, the only concern that I have is that the masks cause the air inhaled to be warm, and could possibly create an environment, within the sinuses, more favorable to infection. But that doesn't worry me because I can treat a possible infection with a sinus flooding.

Do you have an opinion about the pluses or minuses of rebreathing some carbon dioxide?

I'll have to look out the book where I got that info....it does seem to make sense tho.

The warm moist air from rebreathing would be good for your asthma as well I think, especially if dryer air starts you coughing. Do you use a clean one every night? That's what I would suspect would encourage sinus infection.

I'll check that info out for you...I can't get it till later tonight...will write you back for sure.

q