Machaon

Welcome to the world of adult onset Asthma. I got it after getting the flu. All of a sudden, I was allergic to almost everything. It started about 35 years ago. I continued to smoke for years until the smoke caused me so much pain, each time I inhaled, I was forced to quit. I still have asthma but it is more or less under control.

First thing I would try is sleeping in a surgeons mask. Try to get one that doesn't smell too bad. The bed is the worst place for allergies, and mold spores are active at night, so a mask will protect you somewhat.

Do you have wall to wall carpetting? Do you have uphosltered furniture? Do you keep your windows open? Do you use fabric softeners or detergent to wash or dry your clothes? Do you use artificial sweeteners? Is your place dust free? Do you handle chemicals? Do you eat gravies or sauces or pre-packaged, frozen meals? Do you eat lunch meats, sausage or other packaged meats? You could even be allergic to certain clothing dyes. Ever wheeze after putting on a particular shirt?

Anything that you breath, that touches your skin or that you eat or drink could be contributing to your asthma. You need to eliminate as much as you can from your environment until you find out what is contributing to your asthma.

I would be smoking today if it didn't get so painful. Each puff burned the hell out of my lungs. I had to stop. It's not just the smoke that is bad. There are many chemicals in cigarette smoke. You could be allergic to several of the chemicals.

Your doctor is a real jerk. To those with allergies, just the smoke on someone's clothing, or hair, can set off an allergic attack. Your doctor should be ashamed of himself.

With allergies, it is quite common to suddenly become allergic to things that never bothered you before.

Also....... allergies are combinational. Let's say that you are now allergic to 30 things. Let's say that you are allergic to milk, cats, dust, news-ink, mold, tree pollen, grass pollen, various weeds, corn, beef, vegetable gums, chocolate, various inks, etc.

Let's say that you drink a lot of milk. You are allergic to milk but it usually doesn't bother you. Then one day you come into contact with some dust. You are also allergic to dust, but this time it doesn't bother you. The next day you eat some chocolate. Once again, this doesn't bother you. The next day, the pollen level is high and you drink a glass of milk again and put on a shirt that has a dye for which you are allergic. The combination of all of those allergens, over the past few days, now accumlates into an asthmatic reaction.

Sounds complex, doesn't it? It is!

When you go away, you pick up additional allergens. That is why a lot of allergy sufferers get worse when they come BACK from vacation. The combination of the allergens picked up on vacation, and the allergens at home, usually causes a pretty nasty allergic reaction.

Suggest to your doctor that he become a bagboy at a grocery store. He won't be able to harm anyone there.

Quitting smoking is a necessity. It would probably reduce your asthmatic condition, depending upon how allergic you are to the chemicals in the smoke. Quiting could make you worse, for a while, since your asthmatic body would have to go through withdrawal from the chemicals, which can take months.

Regards, and best of luck getting your asthma under control.