New diagnosis: Asthma

I assume you discussed this with your doctor. What did he/she say? Is cycling a good or bad thing for someone with asthma? Or is it just a matter of doing it as long as you're able?

gruppo said:

I assume you discussed this with your doctor. What did he/she say? Is cycling a good or bad thing for someone with asthma? Or is it just a matter of doing it as long as you're able?

Right now, we're still trying to determine triggers etc. Perhaps it's seasonal allergies, perhaps it's permanent.

Kate, there is life cycling with asthma!

I was diagnosed about 4 years ago. Work with your doctor, don't take unnecessary risks. Listen to your body and you will learn what you can and can not do and when. Always bring your inhaler with you on rides even if you think you won't need it. What works for me is taking the inhaler just before my ride if I have any doubts. I find that the exercise actually helps my asthma.

Christine

yosemitefan said:

Kate, there is life cycling with asthma!

I was diagnosed about 4 years ago. Work with your doctor, don't take unnecessary risks. Listen to your body and you will learn what you can and can not do and when. Always bring your inhaler with you on rides even if you think you won't need it. What works for me is taking the inhaler just before my ride if I have any doubts. I find that the exercise actually helps my asthma.

Christine

Don't worry. its not the end of the world, consider your cycling or any other aerobic exercise as barbells for your lungs, as long as you keep your bronchial tubes open with the correct medicines and technique's of using your medication, you'll see improvements in lung capacity during exercise.

I have had asthma my whole life. I often find that if I don't carry my inhaler I start to panic and invariably it gets bad, so always keep it with you especially when riding! Fits nicely into a jersey. If my lungs are a little wheezy I inhale before going on the ride and am usually fine after that. Better to get the medicine in there while your lungs are still calm and able to breathe it in deeply.

My trigger is actually cold air, which is why I am a bit anxious about the weather changing, I only started in July so I'm not sure how my lungs will react to the cold.

Good luck!

Brunswick_kate said:

Finally after several years of self-diagnosis and worsening symptoms, I have been really diagnosed, by an MD none the less, with adult onset asthma. I've got an inhaler now. My chest still feels like an elephant is snoozing on it.

Any advice for other cycling asthmatics on how to cope? There may be things worse in this world than not being able to breathe, but off hand, I can't think of any. I'd like to be able to keep the cycling up and even improve it. Having to quit cycling would be a way bad thing for me.

Thanks

Kate

Kate, it is highly documented that aerobic exercise is one modality for counteracting the effects of asthma. As you have discussed with your doctor, there are many possible triggers (yours may have nothing to do with exercise per se, it's just that when you ride, "triggers" are able to get deeper into the lungs and cause a greater, more noticeable reaction). One poster mentioned that their asthma is worse in the cold. This is something to look out for: cold air is dry air and is just the opposite from the very warm and nearly 100% humid air in your lungs; when breathing is heavy and rapid in cold/dry weather, someone with chronic asthma or exercise induced asthma will have a reaction. Carry your fast acting inhaler, wear an extra layer over your chest and neck when it's cold, and learn your limits. I have had asthma all of my life, and cycling has had a profound and beneficial effect on my condition. I have learned one of my limits when exercising in the cold: nothing over an intensive endurance pace (~82.5% of HR max) or my lungs can't warm and humidify the air fast enough and I have a reaction. You'll figure your situation out too and won't have to give up on your cycling! 😄

Smartt/RST said:

Kate, it is highly documented that aerobic exercise is one modality for counteracting the effects of asthma. As you have discussed with your doctor, there are many possible triggers (yours may have nothing to do with exercise per se, it's just that when you ride, "triggers" are able to get deeper into the lungs and cause a greater, more noticeable reaction). One poster mentioned that their asthma is worse in the cold. This is something to look out for: cold air is dry air and is just the opposite from the very warm and nearly 100% humid air in your lungs; when breathing is heavy and rapid in cold/dry weather, someone with chronic asthma or exercise induced asthma will have a reaction. Carry your fast acting inhaler, wear an extra layer over your chest and neck when it's cold, and learn your limits. I have had asthma all of my life, and cycling has had a profound and beneficial effect on my condition. I have learned one of my limits when exercising in the cold: nothing over an intensive endurance pace (~82.5% of HR max) or my lungs can't warm and humidify the air fast enough and I have a reaction. You'll figure your situation out too and won't have to give up on your cycling! 😄

i suffer from asthma according to my doctor, i was diagnosed asthmatic some 15yrs ago, the cold weather has a profound affect on my breath also, but i have found, that when its cold and i am pedalling fast, if i press the tip of my tongue to the top of my mouth and breath around it the cold doesn't seem to hit my chest the same, like summer when theres god no's how many flies on my mtb trails, also stops them getting stuck in the back of my throat, only thing worse is trying to dislodge a pube, ...lol:o

when i was at school, i used to suffer from what the doctor reffered to as exercise enduced asthma, rather poor conditioning of my respritory system, as i have got fitter this seems to have disappeared, no longer do i suffer shortness of breath during runs or sports 😄

Thanks for the supportive messages folks. As I'm starting to appreciate, this whole learning to live with asthma is a learning curve.

In retrospect, I've had asthma for years and years and years. Cold-weather asthma was a fact of life as long as I can remember; however, having been a smoker for 25 yrs, I always had a reason why I coughed, had a sore chest, blah, blah, blah. Having quit smoking this spring, I no longer have an "excuse" for the lack of breath etc, so I finally got my fat ass into the doctor's office.

I think Smartt/RST is right ... this time of year is pollen heavy and out on the bike, I'm dragging this stuff right into the bottom of my lungs.

I think it's going to take a while for this to shake out. Right now, I seem to be very sensitive but the doctor doesn't seem to be alarmed. He thinks that right now because it's never been treated that the lungs are very inflammed and that this will improve as time goes on.

I'm feeling a lot better about things now. One, I've had a chance to educate myself and find out that it is managable. Cycling has been an important part of my diabetes management strategy so suddenly having agonizing moments on the bike was a really demoralizing.

Close support: thanks for the technical tip. Cold air has always been an issue with me and I was hoping to extend my cycle commuting season this year by a month or so into November. Hopefully, your little trick will help out with that.

Brunswick_kate said:

Close support: thanks for the technical tip. Cold air has always been an issue with me and I was hoping to extend my cycle commuting season this year by a month or so into November. Hopefully, your little trick will help out with that.

IF YOU IMAGINE THE UNDERSIDE OF YOUR TONGUE FORCING THE COLD AIRINTO YOUR CHEEKS, THE AIR SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE WARMER WHEN IT HITS THE BACK OF YOUR THROAT. i DO THIS ANYWAY, I RARELY BREATH THROUGH MY NOSE, I PRESS THE TIP OFMY TONGUE TO THE ROOF OF MY MOUTH, MAKE 2 BIG NOSTRALS AND BREATHE THROUGH MY MOUTH. THE AIR COMES AND GOES QUITE FREELY ALSO, DOESN'T FEEL LIKE ITS BEING FORCED BACK DOWN YOUR THROAT AS YOU TRY TO EXHAIL.

IT ALLOWS ME TO INHAIL AND EXHAIL A LARGER VOLUME OF AIR, WHICH DOES COME IN HANDY SOMETIMES. SUMMERS BETTER CAUSE YOU GET TO MOVE YOUR TONGUE AS YOU INHAIL AND THERE IS A GREATER VOLUME OF AIR FORCED INTO YOUR MOUTH AND DOWN INTO THE LUNGS, AS YOU REPLACE THE TONGUE, AIR IS EXHAILED FREELY.

Well, it was a glorious day and decided to get out on the bike. I don't think I've been out for a serious ride since I was diagnosed and I've had a few "episodes". I was starting to feel the whimpies coming on.

After a considerable debate with myself, I decided to take the puffer with me but not use it until I needed it...the other option being taking it before I started.

Started off with a wicked climb about 1 km in...it's always been a challenging piece of road for me. I climbed it without too much gasping..about 2 kph lower than my normal speed. A bit of tightness but more or less slowed down and relaxed.

Ended up doing a great 2 hr ride, covering about 30 kms -- stopped for coffee, talked to some friends on the road.

All in all, it was a great day. I hadn't been really riding since I was diagnosed and I was a little nervous about going out, particularly since I was by myself. But I felt really good by the time I got home. I know the rest of you kept telling me that asthma wasn't going to be the end of the world but I guess I needed to get my own confidence back.

I think right now I'm just going to coast to the end of the cycling season. Get out frequently but not push myself to max effort until my lungs and/or the air quality clears up a bit.

Thanks for all the help.

Brunswick_kate said:

Well, it was a glorious day and decided to get out on the bike. I don't think I've been out for a serious ride since I was diagnosed and I've had a few "episodes". I was starting to feel the whimpies coming on.

After a considerable debate with myself, I decided to take the puffer with me but not use it until I needed it...the other option being taking it before I started.

Started off with a wicked climb about 1 km in...it's always been a challenging piece of road for me. I climbed it without too much gasping..about 2 kph lower than my normal speed. A bit of tightness but more or less slowed down and relaxed.

Ended up doing a great 2 hr ride, covering about 30 kms -- stopped for coffee, talked to some friends on the road.

All in all, it was a great day. I hadn't been really riding since I was diagnosed and I was a little nervous about going out, particularly since I was by myself. But I felt really good by the time I got home. I know the rest of you kept telling me that asthma wasn't going to be the end of the world but I guess I needed to get my own confidence back.

I think right now I'm just going to coast to the end of the cycling season. Get out frequently but not push myself to max effort until my lungs and/or the air quality clears up a bit.

Thanks for all the help.

Don't coast, consider cycling at your max speed as weight training for your lungs, the harder you work them, the more you'll beable to cope as they become stronger, as long as you use your puffer before you ride also after weather you need it or not you should be, okey!

okey you may have a little more of a challange ahead and progression maybe slightly slower than others, but don't let it stand in your way, its an obsticle. theres always away around, or through, don't let it discourage you.

like i said before, after the initial 15minutes or so for me, i feel great. okey! i may ride around with my mouth wide open, but i need that air and the more i can get into my lungs the better i feel.😄

Don't let your diagnosis be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Scott'sTrek1000 said:

Don't let your diagnosis be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I don't understand what you mean...

Just because a Dr. tells you that you have "asthma", don't let yourself be an asthmatic...Kinda like when people are told they have cancer. Some people are sure that they're gonna die(so they do)....others fight it and win.