Asthma

[domtyler]

Apparently Asthma may be caused by breathing more than necessary. The tightening of the lungs is the bodies attempt to try and reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the blood. Of course the brain often overrides this by triggering panic which makes the sufferer attempt to breathe as hard as possible compounding the situation.

Try breathing slower and shallower all the time and the asthma may simply disappear.

 

[wlc1]

domtyler - I have to but in here.. your talking crap man.

As someone who works in primary healthcare ( paramedic) I can assure you that Asthma is not induced by "breathing more than necessary". And has nothing to do with dissolved oxygen on the blood. Quite the opposite in fact - high O2 concentration is a benefit to athletes. Why do you think altitude training is so popular ? We want ride of waste products when we exhale - namely carbon dioxide. The fundamental reason why our resps increase is to facilitate the increase of O2 and the increase of CO2 expulsion.

Asthma - It is simply bronchiole spasm and dilation that causes an attack - the expiratory wheeze often heard in an acute phase is the air being forced out of ever narrowing airways.

As has been said it has many causes but suffice to say It can be life threatening if not dealt with.

My advice, use meds with caution and care - and be aware that asthma in the under 35's is ok but in the over 40's it is called COPD which also incorporates Emphasema.

 

[Cathryn]

It's all very strange now...but all the symptoms have gone. That tight chest feeling which i was getting every night I'm no longer getting and I've not had anything like that one night when it was so awful. VERY strange!!

 

[domtyler]

domtyler - I have to but in here.. your talking crap man.

Nope, this is a widely known and proven technique and I have seen it work with my own eyes. You are simply regurgitating your paramedic training manual.

 

[Renard]

This morning they were saying on the telly that the girl who won the triathlon is asthmatic and carries an inhaler with her.

 

[Dayvo]

domtyler ... your talking crap man.

He always often does!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Nope, this is a widely known and proven technique and I have seen it work with my own eyes. You are simply regurgitating your paramedic training manual.

If you are talking about Buteyko or Papworth breathing, these are unproven techniques perpetuated often promoted evangelically by the kind of people who think that anything in mainstream medicine is bad. The best that research seems to be able to say about them is that they help with symptoms alongside medication, not as a replacement for medication.

The thing is that there are many breathing conditions and they aren't all asthma, though people tend to assume that they are. If you can get rid of the condition by breathing in the way you describe, it probably isn't true asthma in the first place. And as true asthma is most likely to be caused by an immune system disorder (which can be triggered by many factors) not a biomechanal problem, breathing would only ever help with symptoms not cure it.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I used to use one and a half Ventolin inhalers every summer (you have my sympathy, by the way, Cathryn - athsma is no fun). Then when I started smoking my athsma disappeared completely, and I haven't used an inhaler since (three years now). Now I've stopped smoking again, I wonder if my athsma will return?

 

[andyfromotley]

i've had it all my life, have to say that management is the key. Most Medical practies have an asthma nurse. See them and follow their advice. Although to most people (including myself) it is merely an inconvenience it does increase your risk of all sorts of things and unfortuneatley their are a significant number of deaths each year from it, lots of them involving people who had previously only had very 'mild' symtoms. So take care of it properly then get on with your life.

As mentioned, if the prescriptions get too costly consider bying a season ticket (or ask your doc to put two inhalers on one pescription which they're not really supposed to do) or get them abroad (£2 in south africa, no priscription needed).

i start off really easy when its cold as it is a trigger for me.

best wishes

andy

 

[wlc1]

Rhythm Thief - wait for the COPD to kick in.

Good luck.

 

[domtyler]

I used to use one and a half Ventolin inhalers every summer (you have my sympathy, by the way, Cathryn - athsma is no fun). Then when I started smoking my athsma disappeared completely, and I haven't used an inhaler since (three years now). Now I've stopped smoking again, I wonder if my athsma will return?

Sounds like one of those self help books:

"Smoke yourself fit in twenty one days"

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Rhythm Thief - wait for the COPD to kick in.

Good luck.

??Wot's COPD?:

 

[Speicher]

Wlc1 - do you have any experience of people using a Powerbreathe? I think the newest version is Powerbreathe Plus.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Right, thanks.
I'm ok so far, thanks for asking. I do feel better since I gave up, although I did enjoy my liquorice rollies.
Anyway, we're wandering off topic. Sorry.

 

[chester3]

Andy makes sense. You need to see an expert. There are lots of different inhalers out there. I had tests and the experts gave me what they considered was the right one. I think there are different strengths depending on your level of asthma.

I don't know if my riding better is through increased fitness or the inhaler though.