Adult onset asthma

[lele19]

Hi all,

I've had a pretty rough week, first a chest infection and asthma type breathing problems (which I've never had before) which merged into a head cold. Took steroids last week but asthma symptoms came back last night, seen a doctor who gave me an inhaler for if this happens again, but I have to wait 6 weeks to have proper breathing tests. Been told to stay indoors as cold air may trigger it and to avoid exercise(another possible trigger). I go back to work tomorrow, scared and upset right now. I don't know why I'm having these asthma symptoms having never been diagnosed with asthma, i wake up in the night wheezing (which I read is a sign of poorly controlled asthma and more likely to be fatal). Panicking to be honest :(


Does anyone out there have asthma and anxiety?

How do you cope?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I have asthma. I've had it for around 27 years now.

Honestly, its not a bad thing and with the correct medication you can do pretty much anything. Asthma sufferers run marathons like everyone else!

Its only the real intense asthma that causes day to day problems.

I would suggest looking at Asthma UK's website as it will explain it all and give you advice on what you can do.

Cold air can bring it on, but Asthma UK give advice on preventing that. It just means a scarf basically.

Exercise is actually recommended to asthma sufferers. I can guarantee you, it you don't exercise, your lung function will be worse than if you did. However, right now your GP is probably being cautious so its best to listen to that but if you do get diagnosed with asthma, ask about exercise (and read about it on Asthma UK) because it will improve it by increasing your lung function and other factors such as your immune system which will help with the inflamation, mucus buiild up, etc. Your GP will also be concerned about additional restriction from an infection. Again, exercise on a regular basis and you won't be affected as much by infections, I rarely get any and when I do, they are not too bad thesedays.

Honestly, don't worry about asthma. Its very controllable and its incredibly common thesedays.

We all start at some point wiith asthma, we have symptoms which lead to starting the inhalers. Wheezing at night could also be posture based and you could be causing constriction which brings it on, so its not necessarily that its anything mroe at all...I've had plenty of this myself over the years.

It might be worth avoiding aerosols for now but this may not be an issue later...it never has been for me.

I hope you don't smoke though. If you do, its worth quitting if you do turn out to have asthma.

Get some vitamin C too, it will help with the infection and it helps with asthma so I understand.