Hi all,

I wonder if I may have asthma, and I thought I'd post here first to see if my concerns are valid enough to go to a clinic (I don't have a doctor).

Ok, so I'll start by saying that my symptoms are not caused by being out of shape - I am a tad underweight, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.

I tried jogging with my brother one day, and when we were finished I was wheezing and coughing for a couple of hours afterward. It was very difficult to return to "normal" breathing, and it felt pretty awful! For other physical activities besides jogging, I am usually fine, although sometimes I'll just get a bit of a wheeze, which is awkward but goes away pretty fast.

Do you think this is at all a cause for concern? Or did I get that coughing/wheezing because I was a newbie at jogging?

Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[pegasus]

Well, it's worth getting checked out for sure. It sounds to me like it could be, do you find that if you get a cold or chest infection that it really affects your breathing? When you get a cold, does it linger longer than it should? Have you noticed this wheezing before? It's important for you to get the right treatment, so please go see a Doctor.

[(JD)]

I'm with Pegasus. Being out of shape just means you're out of shape and will gasp and pant... not cough and wheeze.

Did you run on grass, or in a dusty area? If you have allergies to such, that could make you wheeze. Or it could be the energy drink you're guzzling

The doctor won't be able to tell you what is causing it without extensive testing. You can do your own by keeping track of the surroundings and what you smell and ingest each time, seeing if some is better and some is worse. If you can remove an element and jog, then the next etc.. It isn't easy, but it's worth finding out.

Good wishes. (Oh I talked about allergies because that's a key cause of asthma.)

[Yoda]

Do you smoke cigarettes?

it could be exercise induced asthma..in which case you will be offered an inhaler to use before you begin exercise but only an MD especially a pulmonologist can really determine that...it is a fairly common problem.

or it be allergies compounded by exercise...best thing would be to get it checked out by a md...either way shortness of breath is not something to mess around with,,,

stumpy

Originally Posted by Yoda

Do you smoke cigarettes?

No, I don't smoke cigarettes.

didn't you just get a dog?????

are you allergic to the puppy?????

stumpy

Originally Posted by stumpy

didn't you just get a dog?????

are you allergic to the puppy?????

stumpy

That would be impossible, simply because I grew up with a dog always in the house, one of them being a black lab just like my puppy! :P And I never had any sort of allergic reaction to them.

[Yoda]

Well actually you can develop allergies to things that you previously had no allergy to. But if you don't have allergy symptoms when you are near the dog I would doubt that it is it.

I think you should see an allergist for an assessment. Mine has been wonderful managing my asthma, much better than my pulm doc was.

people's allergic tolerances change over time...i never had any allergies at all growing up & then suddenly as an adult in 1990 out of the blue i developed life threatening allergies to the point where i would stop breathing & turn blue).

it probably isn't your dog but really if you think it is asthma you need to go get an allergy test done to see if & what you are allergic to or if it is an exercise related issue...

i spent my entire career working outside...suddenly i could not without severe effects...now i am too disabled to work because of my asthma (& other health issues)

it's like with poison ivy...either you start out as a kid being reactive to it or over time the more you are exposed to it the higher your odds are of being reactive to it...

breathing is kind of one of those functions ya need & don't want to mess around with. mild wheezing & coughing (which are the signs of adult onset asthma) can quickly go to hell & turn dangerous if not treated. been there..you don't want to make that trip...trust me.

stumpy