bronchial spasms - Asthma Message Board

zohreh · 03-06-2003, 07:47 PM

I get an annual cough for successively longer periods each winter. Started with a 2 week cough and after 6 years, am up to a 6 week annual cough. This year, I developed bronchial spasms where I actually stop breathing for 45 seconds after coughing. Am now on an inhaler and am being treated like it's for asthma (diagnosis was hyperactive inflammatory airway disease). I am sceptical because I can dust for an hour (spring cleaning), sleep with cats, work in the garden and these activities don't bring on the coughing/breathing cessation. However, drinking water will...

wrin · 03-07-2003, 02:52 PM

Sounds about right for a diagnosis, especially if your cough is not productive or comes up with thick, white secretions.

Dusting, cats, garden-working, these are all activities that would be related to asthma because of their allergic component. It is totally possible to have asthma and not have allergies to these specific things. For example, I'm in the exact same boat you are, asthma wise -- I am allergic to very few pollens, no animals, and my allergy to dust is no more severe than any normal person's allergy to dust.

But once the snow melts and I get a whiff of the moulds it produces, I'm down for the count.

Drinking water can bring this on for a few reasons -- other people have mentioned a hypersensitivity to chlorine, a lot of towns still chlorinate their drinking water -- and you could also be drinking water that's way too cold. Cold water, because your airways are so close to your esophagus, can cool your airways enough to produce a cough. So what I'm saying is it could be possible that you're sensitive to cold. I'm not sure how cold the winters are down there, though, and I'm not sure what kind of snow you get, either. (I'm betting not very much.)

The best indication for continuing the inhaler that you're on right now is if you find it gives you relief. If it doesn't give you relief (give it a month to decide if it helps or not) go back to your doctor.

charleyhorse · 03-07-2003, 03:06 PM

That's a interesting point Wrin about cold water. I have had a couple bad episodes after drinking a glass of milk out of the fridge. I'm not allergic to dairy products so wondered what that was all about. But the cold makes a lot of sense. Never was much into warm milk - yuck.

Barb