r/Asthma

I just did a peel off facemask with hyaluronic acid and instantly felt constricted in my breathing, is this a commonly known thing that I happen to not know? Or was it just a coincidence

i live in the uk, so it can be really difficult to get a gp appointment, and even harder to be taken seriously.
i’ve had suspicions about my lungs for a long time. from when i was maybe 5??, i used to get bronchitis around twice a year during my childhood, and every time i caught a cold i would develop really severe mucus in my airways. apparently there was also something wrong with my breathing when i was born because i needed a nebuliser, although i don’t actually know what the problem was.
even now, i still seem to get a chesty cough with a lot of mucus at least every month or two.
my parents also told me that when i was around four years old, a doctor suspected i had asthma and prescribed me an inhaler. unfortunately, my parents lost it and never took me back for another appointment shrugging it off as nothing.
during pe in secondary school, especially when we had to exercise outside in the cold, i would cough really badly. i’d get a burning sensation in my lungs that almost tasted like blood, but my teachers always told me it was normal and to keep running.
i also get pretty severe hayfever every spring. from around february onwards, i usually start with a postnasal drip that then turns into a really mucusy chest cough. this time, i had a postnasal drip for two days, and then yesterday, out of nowhere, i couldn’t even speak in full sentences without gasping for air and coughing.
my hayfever also makes it incredibly difficult to breathe whenever i go outside.
i also remember that when i had covid and was isolating, i developed really bad wheezing. it genuinely felt like my lungs were submerged in mucus, and at its worst it felt like my airways were being suctioned shut 😭. i remember my lungs making really strange wheezing noises, and i honestly thought it was going to be the end for me.
when i’m not having these episodes, my breathing feels mostly normal, although i often still notice a bit of pressure in my chest. my parents have always brushed it off as just a cold or hayfever, but it’s been happening for years.
my attendance at school was also affected because i seemed to get ill with chest infections or coughs much more often than everyone else.
i’m wondering whether this could be asthma or something else affecting my lungs, and whether it’s worth pushing for a proper assessment rather than assuming it’s just hayfever every time.
i’m also worried that because my breathing is usually okay-ish when i’m not ill, any tests i have will come back normal. it feels like most of my breathing problems only become obvious when i get a cold, have hayfever, near smokers or vapers, exercise in the cold, or get some sort of respiratory illness, so i’m worried i’ll finally get an appointment only for it to be a “good day” and nothing will show up.

so as of now - theres no wheezing . but im tight the dr said . A few days ago i experienced an attack to the point i couldnt speak . while using my neb … i was gasping . after my neb my oxygen was 93 which is my usual ! but holy crap it felt i was being kicked in the stomach :(

i went to the er cause i was having continued symptoms despite being on EVERYTHING you can think of . Yes that includes long term pred .

the exam wasnt horrible horrible but the dr seemed a bit stumped ! in a way i was a bit relieved cause im like … well im not making this shit up - somethings going on . im not bad enough for admission but theres something CHRONIC going on despite EVERYTHING .

has anyone dealt with stuff like this ? sometjmes i have eoisodes of shortness of breath so bad i cry lol

My son had an awful asthma attack tonight, we were lighting off fireworks for the 4th of July and then went to watch the fireworks our town puts on. He started coughing and complaining of his throat feeling funny. He got very wheezy and I gave him his inhaler (he's only 6), we rushed home and his oxygen level was only 92. Gave him a few nebs and symbicort and he has improved.

I googled it and apparently fireworks contain particulate matter that can induce attacks. I was unaware of this but it does make sense. Just wanted to warn people, if you didn't know! Be careful!

Sooo, I had my Spirometry & FENO testing on the 1st of July; it was rather difficult, but I got through it, so my Feno was 11 which obviously is normal, and I was also told my spirometry is normal too, which is fine, but this doesn't really explain my symptoms – a dry cough, breathlessness, chest tightness, etc., etc., so I had booked another appointment with my dr to discuss the results, and now he's dismissing asthma altogether, which I personally don't understand because its two tests, which obviously don't always show if you aren't experiencing symptoms at the time of testing, I made the said Dr aware of this and he dismissed it completely, and then I asked if there was anything else they could potentially trial me on other than just using my Salmol inhaler (which does actually help) and that question was ignored too....

I don't really know what else to do because its starting to feel like I am not believed no matter what I do... I do have another doctor appointment on Thursday of the week coming up so I am gonna just see what happens there and I will just explain it all.. but if this one doesn't do anything im legitmately at a loss.

My mom gets so mad at me when I have to go to the hospital, but I feel like I’m about to have an asthma attack. I’ve already used my inhaler way too much today. What can I do to prevent an asthma attack.

Edit: she also probably won’t take me to the hospital. She just tells me to hold my breath and she says I’m being dramatic. I nearly died last asthma attack. My regular doctor tells my asthma is so bad because I need to lose weight.

hi guys i was looking for maybe some tips!!
ive been having a flare up for about two weeks i believe it was alright at first didnt really bother me like that. i believe my allergies and constant use of ac triggered it. i will not lie i am a weed smoker , i know its not good for my health but i usually never have an issue with flower irritating or triggering anything unless one thing else already triggered me. that being said im not currently smoking for obvious reasons haha.
i just wanted to give some details to clear any possible questions :)

now my issue it’s that at the moment i don’t have insurance and can’t really afford go to the dr. i have my rescue inhaler that sadly i had been using multiple times a day since i can’t breathe. this isn’t the first time it has happened i went to the er once after i couldn’t control it at home no more and i obviously had a raced heartbeat that had to be monitored. they told me even tho its not recommended, at the end of the day i need to breathe. im trying to only use it when i truly need it but i do find myself doing 4-6 puffs a day. (i currently have mucus in my lungs triggering a cough and once i cough there goes my ability of breathing🫩 )
ig the tip im trying to get is a way to deal with the annoying palpitations.
i dont wanna go to the er because im not doing that bad and im the type of person that unless i feel im dying i dont like to go knowing how hard it is for care workers to deal with no having empty beds for people who truly need emergency care.
specially since they just nebulize me and give me prednisone to take at home. i dont believe im doing that bad yet specially living with asthma i guess we get used to always having some type of breathing issue.

is there anything you guys recommend?

i’m sorry for the rant i just wanted to make sure people see where im coming from. i know im not doing the smartest thing by not getting checked but im really unable to atm ofc if it gets worse i will be going to the er. i dont push my lungs limits lol.
thank you to everyone who took the time to read this and i hope everyone in this subreddit it’s good and the healthiest their body allows them to be!! any help will be appreciated 🫶🏼🫶🏼

Basically, I think I have viral-induced asthma. My spirometry is fine when I'm not sick, but when I get a cold I tend to get chest infections. However, I've had 3 back to back bronchitis infections this year, and despite not technically having asthma I've honestly been feeling extremely unwell breathing wise. I was always a massive runner (I am only 19), however it is hard for me now to walk more than a kilometre, as not only am I out of breath, I just feel lethargic. I need to use ventolin at least 4-5 times a day (otherwise I have very scary bronchospasms which make me nearly pass out), along with Symbicort, and am honestly very miserable.

Does anybody know a way I can prevent this from happening? It's just the fact that this always comes up after a cold? I get sick minimum every month, and have needed 5 courses of antibiotics within this calendar year.

Hello !

Just popped in to tell a happy tale:

I had a doctor a few months ago go line by line with me on some blood work after an abrupt ER visit concerning chest pain. That led to a formal rediagnosis and treatment of asthma I (F29) have been told by my mother I have had since birth.

I was sort of in denial in my late teens and early 20s, thinking I could willpower my lungs into functioning.

I've been on a preventative mix these last few months. And. Y'all. I can breathe.

Today I bested my PR on a 10K by 6 minutes. I ran a 58:20. Without stopping. AND IT FELT EASY.

Anyway. End of happy tale. Praise to thorough doctors and effective medication for something I thought I could just will away 🙌.

Hi everyone, this might be long. I’ve had asthma for pretty much as long as I can remember however, I have not had such a bad flare up in years. About two weeks ago, I ended up in the urgent care with an asthma attack. I was given a breathing treatment and told to use my daily inhaler and rescue inhaler if necessary.

Last night, I ended up again in the urgent care, with even a worse attack. I was given another breathing treatment, a nebulizer to bring home with both albuterol and DuoNeb. I also had to get Zofran for nausea because I am coughing so much that I’m puking.

The breathing treatments somewhat help, but I still have very bad chest pain, severe coughing with lots of mucus, and difficulty doing every day tasks. This is far from my norm, and really scaring me.

I do live in a big city with some air pollution, and it had been VERY hot and humid this past week. But this has been particularly bad and so scary. Idk if this is causing the flare up?

Any and all advice welcome on how to feel better! I’m spiraling a bit because this has been so new and scary. Plus I have my first ever triathlon next week, so I’m panicking and want to feel better ASAP. TIA!

anyone else struggle massively with fireworks? even staying indoors i notice a significant difference in my lungs :/ (air purifier broke last week and haven’t been able to replace yet). feels silly to be so affected by such a small thing so i’m wondering if anyone else goes through it as well

NY based, female 29, around 140 pounds, 5"1, have experienced breathing issues since childhood and have received numerous types of testing, always comes back fine and my symptoms disregarded as anxiety. Nonsmoking, I occassionaly have dabbled in the smoking of weed/vapes but rarely/sporadically. Have history of long boughts of flu and bronchitis as a child. Receive the flu shot every year, never received the covid shot.

Current health issues being treated for: ADHD, Depression, Anxiety, Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, Pelvic Congestion, Unspecified Stomach Pain, Asthma, Hashimotos, Hyperhydrosis

Current medications: Vyvanse, Duloxotine, Mirena IUD, Nexstelis Birth Control, Dicyclomine, Airsupra, Ipratropium Bromide and Albuterol Sulfate, Levothyroxine, Medical Botox Injections

Fast forward to 2020, I contract covid for first time and am put on a few inhalers. I contract covid 4 times over the years, and multiple boughts of bronchitis. Last bronchitis episode brought me to urgent care, receiveded nebulizer treatment, sterpid shot, a nebulizer for home, and referall to pulmonary doctor.

See him June 24 2026, run some tests, all tests show my lungs are fine, BUT due to my symptoms he believes I have asthma due to having covid so many times, and he puts me on a new inhaler.

Fast forward to July 2nd, heat wave extreme, I am at work, for reference I work in a state park so being outside is my job, I develop a severe asthma attack around 10 am, I am struggling to breathe, my face, hands, and feet are pins and needles, and I have used my new inhaler probably 20+ times. I am struggling to breathe so bad that my boss brings me to his truck to have me in the ac, and they are trying to convince me to go home, my coworkers sit with me, I have severe deep cough, wheezing, chest pain, lung pain, eventually agree to go home, mom picks me up rushes me to Urgent Care where I am immediately rushed in, oxygen level 99, they start me on a nebulizer with 2 different meds, give me a steriod shot.

I contacted my doctors office July 3rd and left them a message informing them of what happened.

I guess my question is, since my tests all my life show that my lungs work fine, how can this happen? Am I going to have to bring my nebulizer with me wherever I go in case this happens again? And I always thought asthma was something where you work out to hard and cough a lot (what do i know :/)

And with the rising global temperatures I'm genuinely scared and concerned for my health going forward. This episode was terrifying and I truly thought I might not make it, I felt I could barely breathe and it was terrifying.

Is there more testing I should ask for, some medication as maintenance instead of just my inhaler?

Does having covid so often really cause asthma?? Have I had asthma my whole life and just been misdiagnosed?!

my gp is trying to get me to switch over to MART, i tried it after they recommended it at my last review however i found it made my asthma much much worse. theyre trying to get me to try it again but im sceptical due to my last experience.

for context i was previously on 2 pumps of 100/6 fostair, one in the morning and one at night, with my salamol for relief. i did try MART before but as i said it made it much much worse, the fostair just doesnt relieve as well and i started to build up a tolerance to the actual preventative part so i was needing it more and more, since switching back to the 2 pumps and my blue ive recovered. they've said to bump up to 4 pumps of fostair (2 morning 2 night) and to still use it as the reliever.

it feels really silly to give me even more steroids just to make a different care approach work, but i dont know if im overreacting.

any advice would be really appreciated, thank u :)

Does anyone have any experience on long term Azithromycin for asthma?

Hello everyone I am 18 male from India and today is 4 july around 16 june in night my legs were paining like a hell i couldn't sleep whole night and had panic attack multiple time ane slept around 4 hours only lafter in morning I felt like shortness of breath and high pulse rate since then my symptoms developed into chest tightness, difficulty in breathing, pain in chest and yesterday I went to doctor she told to have some test chest x ray , cbc , ige , esr and all came normal so now my concern is is it asthama ? also whenever I am busy in clg i or whenever I am busy i doesn't feel anything the very next sec my mind switch to my breathing i feel difficulty in breathing and all this happening since last 14-15 days how to overcome form this how can I stop overthinking about this , just comes around randomly in my head plz help

.

This is such a weird one guys, but I'm trying to identify the word to describe the way a particular person I know smells? I'm absolutely shocking with describing scents so thought I'd outsource this one. I've gone around the house and smelled everything I can think of from old clothes to shoes to various chemicals to try to find what's closest, and it's the Pulmicort puffer! It's not EXACTLY the same but definitely the most similar thing I've found.

The best I can come up with is 'musty' or 'stale' but I don't know if they're the most accurate? I'm hoping that if I can figure out what the best word is it might help deliver the message a bit more softly, especially if I can narrow down where it might be coming from (genuinely can't tell if it's hair or breath or even clothes possibly).

I’ve been having allergies to pollen and dust mites when I was a kid, ended up few times in a hospital. Eventually I was diagnosed with allergic asthma. I kind of grew out of, especially when moved for Uni and for 20+ years I had no attack, did not need rescue inhaler. I still had watery eyes, itchy nose etc. However, everything changed when I moved from South Germany to the very West of Germany. I was living around Aachen, got covid followed by CMV infection. I was struggling quite a lot and it took me months to recover. Meanwhile, I discovered that there was abundant mold in the house worsening my symptoms. I decided to move to the Aachen city in a new mold-free apartment. I did prick test to check for allergens and mold sensitivity and I got super bad reactions to European dust mites and mild one to pollen (btw took weeks for my hand to recover). A soon after, in August/September, I got first bad breathing/asthma attack. Doctor gave me relvar elipta for 2 months and my symptoms were resolved. I was totally fine until August last year when the same thing happened. However, I was better after leaving away to seaside for few weeks but symptoms resurfaced as soon as i was back. Just to note i felt like strong irritation in my lungs, tightness, no wheezing. Since then I’ve been taking foster 200/6 that was managing symptoms (new pulmonologist). I also so immunologist/allergologist and i was given bilastin and montelukast to manage inflammation and that resolved my eye itchiness and nasal problems. I was doing mostly fine until April except for few episodes of mild irritation caused by dust or animal fur (interestingly had no allergies before). Sadly, in November and March my bf and I I got two super bad lung infections with severe coughing and it took us 2 weeks each time to recover. However, since may I was getting lung irritations all the time. Not sure if those contributed to my state. I work in the lab but protected to everything toxin. My asthma got triggered after being in a dusty lab and since then I reacted to everything. I had difficulty breathing from perfume in taxi or mild ethanol or any kind of fumes. It took me fee weeks to get normal breathing. I have no wheezing and coughing, it is just i feel suffocated and strong irritation in lungs. These conditions alternates and sometimes i am fine. For example when I went to specialist in that period I was fine. Nevertheless he increased doses of foster to 2 puffs twice a day. I got better, traveled lived my life again. Got back to Aachen and was fine during heat wave. As soon as weather changed i’ve been feeling shitty, just chest pain, irritation and mild shortness of breath. My GP is on vacation, other GPs just told me I breathe ok, and dismissed my symptoms.I struggle sometimes with breathing very fast. Interestingly I sleep well. I had asthma as a kid and actually no one explained to me how to take inhalers, where to go and what to do if i am not ok. I am waiting to get enrolled in program for asthma but meanwhile i feel desperate. I feel that GPs think I am overreacting, specialist is unreachable. Mentally, I feel sad and desperate, as in last months I was not able to do sport and enjoy life. To note in Aachen weather changes like crazy, it is very humid and dusty. As soon as I open windows everything is full of dust. I have hoover to remove and kill dust mites, cleaning-every week (currently lady is helping me as I am unable to clean house), freezing covers, wash bedsheets every week at 60 degrees or freeze pillows, using HEPA air purifier but there is still ton of dust. I feel sorry to bother my friends, boyfriend, and family because in last year I had so many health issues. On the top of asthma I have coeliac disease so my symptoms are kind of alternating. I try to be positive but sometimes it is really difficult especially when medical personnel dismisses you. I just came here hoping to hear some nice comforting word or experience from people that battle this longer than me.