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Suddenly worse asthma

4K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  mammom 
#1 ·
I developed exercise-induced asthma four years ago. I started using an inhaler before exercise last year. But the past couple of months, and especially the past couple of weeks, my asthma has been going CRAZY. I wheeze all the time. I woke up last night wheezing, which I've never done before. The problems seem to have grown immensely since I had my first asthma attack back in February (brought on by construction work and breathing in sawdust all day). The albuterol inhaler helps a lot, when I wheeze, but if it's bad it doesn't help it go away entirely.

What could be making it get so much worse all of a sudden? Could it be stress? Is there anything I can do to make it better than doesn't involve taking meds on a daily basis?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
I have a stack of stuff for you regarding asthma. It appears the information about the cause of asthma is in Australia and Asia but not America yet. Asthma is caused by too little carbon dioxide. This post will be long, but to convince you to try the exercises, you'll need info.

These are some of the roles of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the body:

Quote:
1. Oxygenation: Carbon dioxide plays a large role in oxygen transport from the blood to the cells of the brain and body. A reduction in carbon dioxide levels brings with it reduced oxygenation of tissue and vital organs (Verigo-Bohr Effect). This can lead to many health problems.

1. Acid/Alkaline Balance and the Immune System: Carbon dioxide, through its conversion to carbonic acid, is a primary regulator of the acid/alkaline balance of the body. A reduction in carbon dioxide shifts the body's pH toward alkalinity, which alters the rate of activity of other biochemical processes. An alkaline system weakens the immune system, thus making the body more susceptible to viruses and allergies.

Vessels: Carbon dioxide helps to dilate smooth muscle tissue. Insufficient carbon dioxide can cause spasms throughout the body, including the brain, the bronchi, and other smooth muscle tissues. Good examples are the spasms that take place during asthma attacks and migraines.

The Cardiovascular System: Carbon dioxide helps regulate the cardiovascular system. Too little carbon dioxide can result in many problems, including angina, high blood pressure, chest pain, myocardial infarcts, strokes, and so on.

The Digestive System: A direct relationship exists between the level of carbon dioxide in the body and the functioning of the digestive glands-especially between the level of carbon dioxide and the intensity of gastric secretion. Too little carbon dioxide can eventually lead to poor digestion and eventually to ulcers.
The bolded part is of most use to you.
Asthma sufferers do not breathe correctly. They breathe too fast, too deep and they breathe through their mouths. Often, due to allergies, they will mouth breathe most often at night as their noses are clogged - this causes them to have attacks frequently at night.

Coughing can bring on an attack. Illness can bring on attacks, if you cannot breathe through the nose which is the natural way to breathe. Exercise will bring on attacks if you are not breath-trained as you will pant or over breathe, causing loss of CO2

This site has more information about what is known as the Buteyko method of breathing. Many many people are drug free from this method. From that link, this explains briefly how asthma is a protective mechanism to stop you from dying:

Quote:
Let's say that your breathing is too great. As you are breathing out air that is rich in carbon dioxide, and breathing in air that has almost no carbon dioxide, the more you breathe - the less you trap in. If the level of carbon dioxide in your lungs gets too low - you really will have a serious problem. As you continue to release more carbon dioxide than you produce, your level gets lower and lower. Now your body does not want you to die, so if it is [genetically] able it will act to restrict the airflow to trap in some carbon dioxide.

It will do this by either reducing the size of the opening in your airpipes, or by increasing the production of mucus in the pipes, clogging them up. The first defense will make you feel tight or wheezy, the second will give you a cough. Both will cause more carbon dioxide to be trapped in - as you physically cannot get as much out of your body through a smaller or blocked airpipe. The harder you try to breathe deeply during an asthma attack, the more your airpipe will constrict.
Medication to open airways actually works against the mechanism of contracting airways (asthma symptoms), causing the body to intake MORE oxygen. So my suggestion is if your airways are artificially opened with medication, do not overbreathe. When you start breathing freely again, do so through the nose and slowly and gently. You will be severely low in CO2 now if you are having worse symptoms, and have to build it back up. Even when you are breathing three or four times more air than you need, it feels like you are breathing normally. Because of your body's defence of reducing the airflow, it usually feels like you are not getting enough air.

Points to reduce asthma:
- only breathe through the nose.
- have someone check you are not mouth breathing at night while you sleep.
- when exercising, nose breathe only unless it is too uncomfortable then breathe slowly in the nose, and out the mouth as though you are blowing out candles.
- have an allergy check; allergies make us breathe deeply, as does heat and humidity, causing the CO2 drop.

Exercise to build up CO2:
While standing, breathe in normally, hold your breath for five seconds past the moment you feel the urge to breathe in. When you breathe in, do it through the nose gently. You will feel discomfort, but your body will adjust to the new levels.

Do this again, but this time while holding your breathe walk briskly for five steps and stop for the inhale. Repeat this one two more times.

Do this four or five times a day. Suppress as many coughs as you can or other deep breath triggers. Except laughter, keep that one up only adjust if need be to inhaling through the nose between laughs.

If I think of something else, I'll come back. This page is a PDF download for breath training for children but is a good read for adults with asthma.
 
#3 ·
Thank you for the info, Calm! I'll start these breathing exercises right away.

ETA: I looked at the pics in your siggie - OMG, your family is so gorgeous! I'm jealous!
 
#5 ·
The link at the bottom of my first post is a good download for basics, aimed at children but still quite useful. The site I got it from is here. They seem to be selling something, but ignore that and have a look around. This is called the Buteyko Method. For more info, you'd probably get more out of it than any link I supply with a search for buteyko and/or low carbon dioxide in asthma.

Let me know how you go!
 
#7 ·
There has also been some evidence that supplementing with an additional 1000-2000 of vit c helps to reduce asthma symptoms. Managing allergies is also key (do you have any, could you be tested to find out the specific triggers?). The breathing exercises sound neat. I will add a voice of dissent though, from a severe asthma sufferer. I am an exclusive nose breather, strenuous exercise aside, and I also tend to breathe too shallowly, not too deeply. However, I would say that the breathing thing is worth a try as it is certainly not going to make you worse! There is also a homeopathic I recently read about that can help with asthma, but darned if I can't find the note I made about it!
Ok - here's the link: http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-heal...sthma-and-Kids It does address children, but asthma, is asthma, and the homeopathics affect children like adults.
Lobelia is the one I have heard good things about, although your symptoms need to match - wheezing with dry, short coughs, tight chest, symptoms brought on by cold weather or exercise.
All the best.
Katia
 
#8 ·
Lots of info, Calm!

I just wanted to add that it could be getting worse recently because of allergies or humidity/heat. My daughter's always acted up if it were really humid outside (evidenced when we would walk into a rain forest exhibit and she's immediately have an attack).
 
#9 ·
It is true, allergies make you lose more CO2, keeping them under control can control some of the triggers. The way heat and humidity make you lose more CO2 is because people tend to breathe deeply when they feel claustrophobic/smothered. My mother used to have attacks in the shower because of this reason. She has had severe asthma all her life, and she was a tough nut to crack - lemme tell ya, if she can do it, anyone can.

Selkat, it is a shame you have severe asthma and I totally recommend you find a Buteyko expert to help. They have yet to fail, severe or not. Also, most asthma sufferers think they breathe shallowly, that is why it is helpful to have an expert on hand, to show you exactly how you are losing CO2. Do you find that only your chest rises when you breathe, is that what you mean by shallow? I love homeopathics, btw.

Anyway, good luck all.
 
#10 ·
Totally didn't mean to hijack this thread.
However, by shallow breathing, I do mean that my chest rises with breathing, although that is often because I am "throwing" my chest to get more air in. I say I breathe shallowly more often than deeply because my lung sounds don't go all the way down (I only fill about 2/3rds of my lungs, sometimes less, but my lungs are clear).
Crazy how many resources are out there, and how little we as a general population know about them. I will look into the Buteyko stuff - I would love to get off my daily doses of both steroids and long-acting dialators
Minkajane - let us know how you're doing, what helps, etc
Katia
 
#11 ·
Have you tried a chiropractor, by chance? The first chiro I ever saw (about ten years ago) became a chiro because he was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma and found relief from chirorpactic. I have also been diagnosed with asthma* a few times and see a chiro regularly - for overall health, not for anything specific - and I never have any asthmatic symptoms since seeing one.

Good luck with healing!

Melissa

* FWIW, I believe my diagnoses were a grasp at diagnosing *something* - both times I was diagnosed (several years apart), I had weird breathing episodes and I think the docs were just guessing.
 
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