Ten Tips for Winter Sports with Asthma
Cold air is dry air. Exercising in dry air causes bronchospasm (EIB). Everyone with asthma gets EIB if they exercise strenuously in cold weather. However, if your asthma is well-controlled and you prepare for the trip, skiing or snow-boarding is lots of fun. Here are some tips if you are planning to participate in winter sports:
Related Topics: The Asthma-Ozone Link
, Treating Asthma: Personalized Medicine
Technorati Tags: asthma, skiing, snowboarding, EIB, asthma action plan
- Be sure to get a flu shot (since airplane travel increases your risk of getting the flu).
- Ask for a prescription of two weeks of Tamiflu, which can prevent influenza and reduce its severity and duration if you get the flu. Fill the prescription and take the pills with you. (Details here)
- Get a written asthma action plan from your doctor. Consider also taking your peak flow meter or PiKo1 to monitor your lung function.
- Ask your doctor for a prescription for 7 days of prednisone (perhaps fifteen 20mg pills) to take with you in case you fall into the red zone. Finding a doctor quickly and inexpensively at a ski resort is not easy.
- If you walk into a hotel room and it smells musty or smoky, ask for a different room. Take an allergen cover for your pillow.
- If you will be exercising in the snow (like skiing or snowboarding), take a mask which will conserve the moisture that you exhale. At least wrap a scarf over your nose and mouth whenever possible. Premedicate to prevent EIB.
- Be sure to faithfully take your asthma controller medications during the week prior to the trip and throughout the trip. Take an extra albuterol MDI.
- Avoid folks with colds and coughs.
- Don't use the fireplace in the condo. Run the exhaust fan when showering or cooking.
- Eat well (good nutrition) and drink plenty of water (to avoid dehydration).
Related Topics: The Asthma-Ozone Link
, Treating Asthma: Personalized MedicineTechnorati Tags: asthma, skiing, snowboarding, EIB, asthma action plan
20 Comments:
Paul,
hello there paul. im doing a project on asthma, and i was wondering of you wouild be our guest speaker. im poor and dont have much money. so i was hopeing you would just help ali and i out you can e-mail me back. well a little about me my name is brittany im in the 10 th grade, & we really need your help. so you can email me back at Brittany_k420@yahoo.com
thank you
sincerley,
Brittany kessel
Dear Dr Enright,
Have you seen this?
www.puffapouch.com
Seems like a great idea to help protect medicine and prevent unwanted hospitalization.
Regards
A friend of mine has had a couple of scarey asthma attacks. In her hope to prevent another, I feel she is using her inhaler much more often and before it is needed. What can be considered overuse? She is using it about 5 times a day. Can an inhaler used like this do more harm or even become addicting?
Could I be falsely labeled as an asthma sufferer? I have never had an asthma attack in my life, but a PFT showed poor function which improved after bronchodilators administered. The next year the PFT showed no improvement, and no benefit from bronchodilators. Should I still be taking Advair? My doctor pooh-poohs my concerns, he says "you are on the minimum dose (100/50), what are you scred of/" "You are lucky, you have such a low level of asthma that you never had any symptoms, why complain?"
I have had a sore throat that has been persistant for over 5 weeks now. I have had 2 white spots on my tonsils for more than 5 weeks. I dont have any other symptoms. No runny nose, coughing nothing. Do you have any thoughts on what is could be?
Anonymous,
To ask specific questions, try a visit to our message boards. The symptom checker is also an excellent resource.
I hope you feel better,
WebMD Blog Admin
Dear Dr. Enright,
I am 39 year old, non smoking, female and have been diagnosed with pneumonia 6 or 7 times in the past 2 years. My symptoms normally consist of mostly breathing related conditions such as coughing, shortness of breath, and fatigue. My treatments have included predisone, inhalers, cough syrups, and antibotics. Once during an emergency room visit a doctor suggested I might have asthma. However, I have not been officially diagnosed. Let me also add, there are also occasions when I must use my inhaler due to tightness in my chest in order to breath easier when I would not consider myself as "sick"... ie not taking predisone or antibotics.
Less than two weeks ago I had to make another emergency room visit while on vacation and was diagnosed with pneumonia. I was struggling to breath with pain/tightness in my chest. The evening before I had just finished antibotics and predisone therepy given to me by my family doctor for pnemonia prior to my vacation.
I have been seeing the same physician for years and during my follow up visit I voiced my concerns regarding the ongoing breathing problems. When I asked about a prevenative therapy he says in general he feels I am healthy and that there is no need to proceed.
While doing the suggested breathing exersizes using the Voldyne 5000, I struggle to get my insired volumes to 1000 ml. I am tired of feeling bad and I don't think it is normal to have pneumonia and breathing problems so often. I would appreciate your opinion on the matter. Thank you for your time.
my daughter does not have asthma attacks per se but regularly gets a dry, persistent cough which the dr says is asthma related. Is it ok to treat this with inhaled steroids
Long time reader, first time writer: When will Advair be qualified to have a generic made after it? I don't know the timeline when a Drug can have a generic. I've heard 5, 7 and even 14 years. Thanks!
Teresa
HI Dr. Enright,
I thought this that webpage http://media.medialink.com/webnr.aspx?Story=32954 might be of interest to your readers. It deals with the steps women are taking to proactively control their asthma. It features Dr. Monica Kraft of Duke University’s Allergy, Asthma and Airway Center and two of her patients who talk about how asthma was effecting their lives and how they worked with DR. Kraft to meet goals such as running, gardening, or being a better parent. It's pretty neat.
David
For some reason, I thought Tamiflu was not recommended for asthmatics. But I trust your judgement.
hello, I have been suffering with a bad dry cough for about 4 days now it seems as if the cough now has phlem behind it,and it feels and look very thick but its like only a off white looking color nothing that looks bloody or rust looking. My problem is that I'm having a hard time coughing the phlem up and it seems as if I'm being choked or can't get any air down my throat. I've tried several diff.medicines and a acapella from respiratory nothing seems to help can you please tell me what I might have and how can I treat this cough to get rid of the PHLEM!
Have you heard of "Athlete's Asthma?"..can you use inhalers with that.
About a week ago, we had a plumbing problem in a brand new 360000 dollar home we are leasing and they had to jack hammer up the floor, tear up the soil to replace a pipe. Now, I, my husband, my grand daughter and my sister are all complaining of shortness of breath, headache, and nausea, and generalized malaise. I have been to the doctor they said oh, probably bronchitus, or maybe a viral pheumonia, just today got an xray, havent heard the results yet, but I sat 99% sitting still, but when I get up and move around I am breathy, like I cant get a full breath of air and thats what the rest of my family is now complaining of the same. I am wondering if tearing up the new home could be related. My email is nanacrystal38@yahoo.com and I really would like someone who has an answer or idea. I am an RN and I am stumped.
crystallane,
Please visit Dr. Enright's message board to ask specific questions.
Thank you!
I want to know if black and fuzzy stuff (mold?) on dried wood framework in a house I am building, is harmful and/or should it be removed/treated before I cover it over with sheetrock?
why do you not enlighten asthma sufferers about using the "LIFE EVERLASTING PLANT" (common name: Rabbit Tobacco)? It worked great for my son. Gather or purchase and put leaves into a sock, tie sock closed and place into pillowcase.
This absolutely stops night coughing. My son quit using the inhaler (except while at school ).
thanks:
Hello Dr. Enright, I am a RN student and am wondering my son, who have diagnosed asthma, should be on a different product. He takes pulmocort, the new fine dust inhaler, 1 puff BID. He seems o.k. for awhile but still gets SOB with activity. He is 5 yrs. old and is very active. Is there something more I should be doing or suggesting to his allergist?
Concerned mom-Heather
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hi paul,
thanks for all the info, helps a lot.
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