Asthma

[roxy90]

For the past few weeks I've a crap cough, not massively bad but worse at night time etc. My chest has been going tight ocassionally like I can't breathe out.

I tried to put it out my mind and whatnot but the chest tightness is occurring everyday. I'm not gasping for breath or anything outwardly but I just feel like I can't breathe out and need to cough to let it all out.

I don't wheeze or anything but my best friend has decided I couldn't have asthma and I'm starting to panic that I'm going to have a severe attack and die. I've now had to stop reading my local paper after today as it keeps reporting young people dying!

Can anyone tell me their own experiences with asthma I don't know whether this sounds like it or not.

[Pipkin]

Could be asthma or just a bit of a tight chest. Lots of people display those kind of symptoms occasionally but it's when they're more chronic that it would be classed as asthma.

I'm asthmatic and my symptoms are more a dry cough and tight chest, usually worst at night. I do wheeze when it gets worse but not always.

My advice would be to take it easy and see how it goes. Any sign of it getting worse, see a doctor. If it's any reassurance, it would be very unusual to have a major asthma attack when you've not had longer-term symptoms unless you're suddenly exposed to a new trigger. Those kinds of extreme attacks are also relatively rare (I've never needed to be hospitalised) despite what you read.

Pip x

And btw, if you do have asthma, when it's well controlled, there's little to fear. It doesn't stop me doing anything.

[mummyanxious]

Doesn't sound like asthma, I had asthma as a child and was wheezy.
Easy enough to diagnose, so if you're worried go to the dr. They will get you to do a peak flow thing where you blow into a machine.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Roxy,

Here are the symptoms off Asthma Uk's website.

Symptoms of asthma

The usual symptoms of asthma are:

coughing
wheezing
shortness of breath
tightness in the chest.
Not everyone will get all of these symptoms. Some people experience them from time to time; a few people may experience these symptoms all the time.


If you are getting these persistently, see your GP. There are many reasons for having these symptoms such as basic chects infections as well as anxiety.

And if you do have asthma, don't worry about it - I've had it over 25 years and barely ever had an issue with it. It's quite manageable with inhalers. People with asthma can run marathons if you train sensibly so it doesn't stop you doing the things you would normally. It's only severe asthma that impairs people and I think you would be struggling to breathe more than what you are saying.

How have you been since that other issue with those tablet side effects? I remember talking to you about it a few weeks back.

[roxy90]

I've just been to see a nurse today. She did a peak flow, listened to my heart, chest, took my blood pressure, temperature etc. She said I have a temperature and thinks its a viral cough/tracheitis.

I felt so much better til she said I had a low-grade fever. I've been having a few leg pains and fever is a sign of a DVT. I:m now beside myself with worry over an entirely different thing I went in for! X