anxiety and asthma update

[ankietyjoe]

Yes it's very common.

It's counter intuitive given how much fear the sensation of being short of breath can illicit, but the best thing to do is try and ignore it. It tends to go away if you do.

[sammie13s]

This is a very common anxiety symptom. Simply try gulping when you feel this happening. If that doesn't work try chewing gum. It's hard to chew and concentrate on breathing together x

[Sparky16]

This is classic anxiety. I can remember having this problem when I was nine years old. I think it was one of my first anxiety symptoms. I've read that it's caused by breathing shallowly, taking small breaths because you are so tense. I've found that doing relaxation exercises (ones that don't involve focusing on your breathing, of course) helps.

[eddy1608]

its driving me insane if you saw me you wouldnt think i look like i feel breathless, its almost like that throat feeling when your up all night laughing and you get that wheezy tight throat if that makes sense, i know that description sounds weird though haha my asthma peakflow is a little less than normal, its usually 600/650 tonight its 550/600
does any of you guys suffer with anxiety and asthma?

[Buster70]

Yep , and it's slowly driving me round the bloody bend , Ive been like it for two years , I can't tell the difference between my asthma and anxiety , I also have reflux so my throat is tight , it's but like being strangled and suffocated all the live long day ,you might be experiencing something completely different just sounded similar to me .
Take care .

[Scass]

Yes, and like buster I also suffer from reflux (apparently that’s really common in asthmatics).
I find taking my peak flow meter can often reassure me that I’m dealing with anxiety and not asthma.
Also when my anxiety is high I often forget whether I’ve taken my asthma medication which makes me more anxious!


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[eddy1608]

Hi all
Just wondered if anyone with health anxiety has any pointers for starting a running regime. My main symptoms are short of breath and chest aches , so i want to challenge these feelings and thoughts
I want to get in to running, i have mild asthma and i am abouts 3/4 stone overweight
Does anyone have any ideas on a place to start?
Many Thanks

[Fishmanpa]

As with any exercise regime, it's best to check with your doctor if you have any underlying conditions (asthma for instance). Once you get the all clear, start slow and build up. Start with walking, picking up the pace and distance as your endurance improves.

I have heart issues and take several meds and they put a ceiling on how hard I can push so I'm at a couple miles at a fairly good pace. It's all about taking the initiative and as Nike says... Just do it!

Keep us updated on your progress!

Positive thoughts

[RadioGaGa]

eddy1608

It's great you've decided to adapt a more healthy lifestyle.

The vast majority of healthy people should have no problems starting to undertake exercise. You report to be in good health aside from the asthma and excess weight. Assuming your doctor has not told you to avoid exercise, there's no reason not to go ahead with it. I'm asthmatic and it's well known that exercise is good for asthma (unless, of course, it's exercise-induced...but even then, we're still told to exercise in some shape or form. You may or may not find running aggravates your asthma, in which case if it does, see your GP but you'll most likely be told to take prophylactic salbutamol before exercising unless that reaction is severe, which is very unlikely)

It also depends on your exercise tolerance at the minute. You won't be going out and running a marathon tomorrow or any time soon, I'm sure you're aware, so it would be good to start with lighter exercise and build your way up.

Start walking. Walk at a pace that exerts you. How do you know you're being exerted? Try to sing a sentence and you shouldn't be able to without pausing for breath. Gradually work your speed and time up as your exercise tolerance builds. How quickly that happens is unique to each individual - and how much effort you put in.

Another thing to bear in mind is that a lot of council gyms will have very low cost membership fees (usually around £20/month). *Included* in this fee is usually some exercise classes, which work to increase your cardio.

Do you have any friends or colleagues in a similar situation, who want to shed excess weight or increase their phsyical activity?? You could ask them to join in.

Another good thing to do is ALWAYS take the stairs of the escalator or lift. Instead of driving to the shops, walk to them. Simple things like that really can help you burn excess calories.

AVOID: chocolate, cheese, crisps, fried food etc or GREATLY restrict them!

Keep us posted on how you get on Good luck

PS: Make realistic weight loss targets. 1-2lbs/week is a realistic goal. Some people aim for 5+lbs a week, which just isn't realistic, and then get disappointed when they don't see those results.

[StephA]

Hi there! I just joined a small local gym and am working one on one with a personal trainer. I don’t do running because I too have asthma, and running isn’t the best thing for that, according to my doctor and my trainer. We do lots of weight training and other forms of cardio, just no running. I also need to lose some weight, but according to the trainer the best way to do that is diet modification. I’ve cut way back on sugar, bread, and unhealthy snacks. Working out is a great stress reliever! I wish I had done this a long time ago! I’ve onlt been doing it for a couple of weeks so I haven’t seen any real results yet, but I’m being patient. Good luck! Sorry I can’t help as far as the running is concerned, but any form of exercise can help.