Asthma fear

[anxious_thoughts]

Hey everyone,

I’ve had an on and off asthma fear this year that has been brought on by having COVID back in January. I got tested for asthma after getting really sick back in 2017 and having a cough for months. It was the lung capacity test where they put you in a glass box and you breathe. Everything was fine then and I didn’t go through with a second asthma test because this one came out clear.

Back in January I got COVID and have had a cough since but it’s from the constant post nasal drip I have. I also have a stuffy nose and bad allergies to dust mites. Back in January, after getting over COVID I had this chest cold sensation, that sometimes still happens to me now months later. I got an X-ray done in February and everything was okay.

I keep hearing people talking about their winter asthma and it makes me overthink this. Could an asthma test from 5 years ago still even count? I’m unsure if I have shortness of breath, I overthink my breathing so it could be that. For months after COVID I had on and off slight chest wheezing that would happen when laying down, but since using Flovent inhaler every other day it stopped.

I’m just so nervous about having it. My nose is congested and I can’t stop clearing my throat and coughing from the post nasal drip. :(

[ErinKC]

I have had THE WORST post nasal drip of my life since getting the flu three weeks ago, so I really commiserate. If you don't have asthma attacks, you probably don't have asthma. You could also just go to the pulmonologist for a test to see. My husband has asthma and he takes meds for it and is completely fine, so it's really not that big of a deal even if you have it.

[serith]

What aspect of asthma are you worried about, exactly? Seems kind of scary but overall, extremely manageable. Not something that I would think would throw someone into existential panic like other diseases mentioned on this board.

[ankietyjoe]

I keep hearing people talking about their winter asthma


Where? :wacko:

[Scass]

I think you need to see someone about your anxiety, have you tried that?

I have asthma and I have allergies. Allergies make my asthma worse and I need to use inhalers every day, they aren’t the same thing I assure you. Take an antihistamine for your allergies and take measures to reduce the dust mites.

[anxious_thoughts]

Hey everyone,

I’m feeling a bit anxious about my breathing lately. In January of this year I got COVID and since then the coughing hasn’t gone away, but it’s mostly due to the ongoing post nasal drip.

However, after I had COVID I noticed that my chest felt weird. It felt like when you have a chesty cold and it was like that for months. It finally went away closer to summer time but now it’s December and I feel it sometimes especially when I don’t sleep with my humidifier on and wake up in the morning with it and terrible post nasal drip. I also notice if I laugh very hard it makes me cough a bit.

A couple years back I had a chest infection and it also resulted in a long term cough so my dr got me to do a breathing test and it was fine. This was maybe 4-5 years ago. I wonder if I should get another one done since I cough when I laugh very hard among the other symptoms. I don’t smoke or anything, never have.

Not sure if this means anything to this but I also have allergies and sinus issues.

[nomorepanic]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

[anxious_thoughts]

I have had THE WORST post nasal drip of my life since getting the flu three weeks ago, so I really commiserate. If you don't have asthma attacks, you probably don't have asthma. You could also just go to the pulmonologist for a test to see. My husband has asthma and he takes meds for it and is completely fine, so it's really not that big of a deal even if you have it.


The post nasal drip is really such a pain! Have you tried anything that actually helps? My nose won’t even be congested but I’m always clearing my throat.

I’m going to try to request to see a pulmonologist, I fear seeing one but you’re right it’s something manageable, but the anxiety of course makes everything 10x worse.

[anxious_thoughts]

I think you need to see someone about your anxiety, have you tried that?

I have asthma and I have allergies. Allergies make my asthma worse and I need to use inhalers every day, they aren’t the same thing I assure you. Take an antihistamine for your allergies and take measures to reduce the dust mites.

I’ve been seeing someone since May. So trust me, I’ve been much better than I used to be. But I’ve been experiencing these symptoms since January and I’m sure you know that after visiting the family doctor so many times and then just being prescribed to try different medications with no avail is quite a pain. I do take allergy pills daily, have a humidifier going every night while I sleep, and have been taking measure to reduce dust mites.

[Scass]

For my daughters dust mite allergy we: have a dehumidifier- this is only a recent purchase that I LOVE - a thing that filters all the crap out of the air (can’t remember the name) air filter?!, I change her sheets weekly, she has a zipped protector over mattress and pillows and I hoover weekly.

I don’t take as much care for me, but hopefully the dehumidifier will help us.

Do you cough at night and when it’s colder? Do you feel out of breath in cold air or when you exercise? Do certain smells make you cough? Have you actually been diagnosed with a dust allergy?

What does your therapist say?

I seem to remember you had lots of concerns about your heart after covid but forgive me if I’ve muddled you up with someone else.

If it was me, I would ask my dr r for an asthma test and if they said no I would ask why. Listen to their reasons. Asthma is common and they will know what they are talking about. I’m not saying you have it, I’m saying this is what I would do if I had the same fears.

At my gp they list the gps and their areas of expertise on their website, if you have that you could ask to see the one that specialises in asthma.

[Fishmanpa]

The title of this thread is: "Asthma fear."

Therein lies the key. It's the fear of asthma, not the issue itself. 1 in 13 people on average deal with it. It's not pleasant but it is manageable and the chances of it becoming a major health issue are slim at best.

You have very plausible reasons for the symptoms you're experiencing. Try some OTC remedies or talk to your doctor. I don't believe your worry is warranted based on the circumstances.

FMP

[ErinKC]

The post nasal drip is really such a pain! Have you tried anything that actually helps? My nose won’t even be congested but I’m always clearing my throat.

I’m going to try to request to see a pulmonologist, I fear seeing one but you’re right it’s something manageable, but the anxiety of course makes everything 10x worse.

I started using a saline nose spray and it helped SO much. I tried to do nasal irrigation but I couldn’t get it to flow all the way through because I’m bad at it haha. But I rinsed pretty well a few times and now a few days later it’s almost totally gone!

[anxious_thoughts]

For my daughters dust mite allergy we: have a dehumidifier- this is only a recent purchase that I LOVE - a thing that filters all the crap out of the air (can’t remember the name) air filter?!, I change her sheets weekly, she has a zipped protector over mattress and pillows and I hoover weekly.

I don’t take as much care for me, but hopefully the dehumidifier will help us.

Do you cough at night and when it’s colder? Do you feel out of breath in cold air or when you exercise? Do certain smells make you cough? Have you actually been diagnosed with a dust allergy?

What does your therapist say?

I seem to remember you had lots of concerns about your heart after covid but forgive me if I’ve muddled you up with someone else.

If it was me, I would ask my dr r for an asthma test and if they said no I would ask why. Listen to their reasons. Asthma is common and they will know what they are talking about. I’m not saying you have it, I’m saying this is what I would do if I had the same fears.

At my gp they list the gps and their areas of expertise on their website, if you have that you could ask to see the one that specialises in asthma.


Hello Scass,

I have both an air filter and a humidifier in my room. The humidifier helps so much with the congestion and post nasal drip, and like you say the filter helps with the dust.

I definitely cough more when it’s very cold outside. But I think it’s the very dry air in the winters. It also causes more post nasal drip. Yes I’ve seen an allergist and got diagnosed with a dust mite allergy and ragweed.

Yes that was me with my heart worries after COVID. I actually got tests done on my heart and everything is okay so that hasn’t been a worry anymore! I did an asthma test 4-5 years ago and it came back clear. But I had the exact same symptoms after having a very bad sinus cold. The continuous post nasal drip and chronic cough, I also remember having a bad cough while laughing hard but that doesn’t seem to be an issue this time.

This time it seems like when I take too many deep breaths my chest feels irritated. Like a chest cough sensation but I don’t always cough with it. My dr suggest I see an ENT but I wonder if I should get another asthma test done just for peace of mind.

[anxious_thoughts]

I started using a saline nose spray and it helped SO much. I tried to do nasal irrigation but I couldn’t get it to flow all the way through because I’m bad at it haha. But I rinsed pretty well a few times and now a few days later it’s almost totally gone!

If you don’t mind me asking, what spray are you using? Would love to try it. Haha yeah the nasal rinse are something you need to start off slowly. I’m quite the pro at it now and can flush out my nose quickly 😂

[Foreverworried093]

Any updates? Going through the same thing. Hope you’re feeling a bit better