Adult-Onset Asthma
Adult-onset asthma is rather common, and often initially misdiagnosed as recurrent attacks of bronchitis. Asthma and bronchitis share most of the same symptoms, except that shortness of breath is not due to simple bronchitis.
Since asthma therapy usually works very well at relieving shortness of breath, it's worthwhile going for a diagnosis. In the meantime, ask a local pharmacist about a Primatene Mist inhaler (which does not require a prescription). If using it quickly relieves your respiratory symptoms, then they were probably due to asthma. If you are a smoker, be sure to ask for help to stop, as this will improve both bronchitis and asthma.
If problems breathing occur during a meal it could be due to acid reflux, inhaling some food into your lungs, or a food allergy (rare).
Get an evaluation by a pulmonary specialist or allergist, who will confirm the diagnosis, and probably place you on a good asthma controller (such as an inhaled corticosteroid). Keep asking lots of questions until the cause of your symptoms is confirmed and you are treated effectively.
Related Topics: Dust Mites Elude High End Vacuums, 100 Worst US Cities for Asthma
Technorati Tags: asthma, bronchitis, primatenemist, acidreflux
Since asthma therapy usually works very well at relieving shortness of breath, it's worthwhile going for a diagnosis. In the meantime, ask a local pharmacist about a Primatene Mist inhaler (which does not require a prescription). If using it quickly relieves your respiratory symptoms, then they were probably due to asthma. If you are a smoker, be sure to ask for help to stop, as this will improve both bronchitis and asthma.
If problems breathing occur during a meal it could be due to acid reflux, inhaling some food into your lungs, or a food allergy (rare).
Get an evaluation by a pulmonary specialist or allergist, who will confirm the diagnosis, and probably place you on a good asthma controller (such as an inhaled corticosteroid). Keep asking lots of questions until the cause of your symptoms is confirmed and you are treated effectively.
Related Topics: Dust Mites Elude High End Vacuums, 100 Worst US Cities for Asthma
Technorati Tags: asthma, bronchitis, primatenemist, acidreflux
20 Comments:
I had no idea I had asthma - no one in my family has it. I argued with the doc when she said it sounded like asthma. What can you say when the medicine works? I was in my later 30's.
I was sick for over 5 years. Every two months I had either re-occuring bronchitis or a cold. But regularly I had a runny nose and a cough. After many months of antibiotics to treat the unstoppable infection, I saw the allergist. The allergist gave me a list of possible issues cats and dust.
Over a period of time, I found the cause of my problem to be my drive to and from work. I drove 20 minutes twice daily in a heavily diesel environment. Even though my car had a filter for incoming air, it did not work. After three weeks, placing my car air on recirculate (no air from the outside) my symptoms went away and have been gone for over 3 years.
I hope this can help others!!
please help! It is 12:30am and I'm
on my 4th night of no sleep. Had
treatment at alergist on Thurs,lots of thick phlem and was
put on Biactin 1000mg antibiotic and Prednesone. I also am taking
3-4 puffs of abulterol every 4-6 hours and 500/50 advair 1 2x a day
,singular and claritin. I'm making
a wheezing sound like I've never heard and it is much worse when I
go to bed-hense-NO SLEEP. Should
I be getting an xray of lungs or what? I try to cough up all i can
but have irritated my throat so much that I'm not having much success..HELP!!!!
ANONYMOUS see a pulmonologist at once this is advice for the 12;30 help writer.
My husband has been having shortness and (rib pain?) ever since he quit smoking in March 2006. He came in today from work and said he had been really short of breath to day and was sleepy. He has been on Allegra for 2 months and it helps some but not enough. Could this be Adult onset Asthma?
My Asthma started at 40yrs after an allegric reaction to sulfur medications. Now from big bursts of predisone I had a major skin infection. I use advair, singular, zyrtec, vospire, nsocort AQ, Nexium (GERD for inhalers). Now my MD wants to boost my immune system with some strange series of shots involving mouse DNA. What next??
I have been having problems with asthma since 1993. I worked in a nail salon, I coughed all the time and was told I had bronchitis every time I went to a doctor. Then in 1995 my doctor sent me to a alergist who told me I had asthma after a serious of test. once I was treated I started to feel better. I only had problems after that maybe once a year in the spring or in the summer. Rently I had a cold in September of 2006. Once the cold was gone I continued to cough all the time, and now everytime some one comes near me with any type of colon or lotion on I go into a bad attack. I wnet to the doctor today and he put me on singular I hope it helps because I am getting very tired from coughing all night and having attacks when someone comes around me with different fragrences, my coughing makes people not want to be around me, and my family gets up set when I ask them to not wear colon around me or to put it on after they leave the house. The mintues I smell cetertain smells my throat closes up and I cought all day until my throat is raw. people think I have a nasty cold and don't want to be around me. I am a 46yr old women, I sell life insurance so I talk with the public all day long it is getting very hard to deal with my annoying problem? does anyone have any advice that they could give me HELP
Veronica
What is a pulmonologist? and how can they help please respond soon? Thanks.
To Veronica and anyone else who has specific questions about their own asthma, please post to our Asthma: Paul Enright, MD board. :-)
Many times I would go to bed at night and the minute my head hit the pillow I would start to cough and get a runny nose. My doctor said it might be acid reflux. Now if I start to cough or my nose starts to run I take a Rolaids and that settles the acid so I can sleep at night. Just a suggestion.
I developed a cough and runny nose accompanied by wheezing about 5 months ago. The cough would only occur in the night (for a couple of hours) and it seemed like the symptoms started when I caught a little chill if I pushed my foot out of the quilt!! A couple of months after this started, the symptoms started to occur in the day as well. Sometimes, it would be just after I ate something and sometimes when I had been out but I couldn't pinpoint it to any partcular thing and I still can't. The runny nose and cough have become worse now and is pretty random. My internist says that I have persistent moderate asthama and has given me allegra, nasonex and albuterol. The nasal spray doesn't help at all and I don't need to use albuterol much because fortunately there isn't too much wheezing (even when there is I try to avoid takig the albuterol because it makes me feel really stuffed up). The allegra is effective but doesn't completely do away with the symptoms. I need help. I want to get pregnant but dread the effect of the coughing on my pregnant body. Should I see an allergist?
i have adult onset asthma and if it gets too hot i wheeze cough and have to use my nebulizer more often along with my inhalers why does the heat affect my asthma i wish i could fill better any susgestions i am 51 and i dont sleep because i cant breathe.
To the one posting about insomnia: this is a possible side effect of prednisone, which is a steroid. Report this to your prescribing physician. S/he may want to change your prescription.
those who are having dry cough that will not go away causing you to loose sleep and constantly taking your inhaler you need to get your lungs exrayed for phneumonia because my son was 5 or 6 years old and he could not get rid of a cough and it stopped him from sleeping and i tried to use his machine for asthma, when it got worse I took him to the emergency room and they found phneumonia you need to go to the emergency room right away
to anonymous..I have the same thing..been going on for a month. Doc gave me zpac, did'nt work, then low (5day) predisone, it helped by it was still there, emergency room, nebulizer & more predisone and still there. I went back to doc today..stronger & longer treatment of predisone, Neb, inhaler. What is your H2O level? I actually feel better after my 6 pills. You must sleep propped up. I hope I sleep tonight.
At 47 never did I think my asthma as of child would return. But it did. Immediately went to a specialist and was prescribed both a preventer / rescuer spray and 10MG of singular. It's now 30-days later and I feel great. Bottom line if asthma sympton start, don't self medicate, see a good doctor right away.
i was wondering if i should consider seeing a lung specialist for adult asthma. i grew up in a heavy smoking house, and off and on lived in smoking environments, with and without pets. anymore though i get out of breath just walking through the woods. i keep going to the doctor and everytime i go for "runny nose and cough" she tells me its a sinus infection, it just never completely clears up. what should i do?
To the woman concerned about colognes and other fragrances: I have had the same problem for a long time. But a few years ago when I had a nose job the doctor said that I had an "enlarged filter" and fixed the problem (made it smaller). Since then my symptoms have been much less severe. If your perfume allergy is interfering with your life, you should look into this.
I'm curious...for the two that posted anon. with the strange lung problems and such...what is your work environment like? My mom is having those same symptoms and I was just wondering if the work environments were anything alike.
can someone shed some light on my situation. for the past 4 weeks or so, almost everynight my lungs get very heavy and I can't take a full breath. I also start coughing and its a very deep cough. I am not sure what is going on because I am fine all day but as soon as the sun starts to go down it begins. Is it possible that I have night asthma or allergies. Why isn't it affecting my all day long? Its so weird.
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