Is it asthma?

Specialties Pulmonary

Published

Hi. I was wondering if anyone has any idea what my problem is. Since I moved to Arizona 6 years ago, I have stopped breathing about 4 times. It doesn't happen often obviously but is really scary when it does. There is no trigger it seems. Fine one minute and red faced, tears rolling down my face the next. I will be making a dr. appointment but just thought maybe in the meantime someone may have an answer. I have researched asthma and it seems this is usually more of a chronic problem that occurs during exercise and such. Just doesn't really appear to be my symptoms at all. This has never happened while working out or anything. It happened about a week ago while I was driving. Just out of the blue things seem to close up for a minute or so. I think maybe it has something to do with the dry air but couldn't really say. Thanks.

Thanks for your replies grannynurse and ELKMNin06. I know it is hard to help when I can't really explain my symptoms. I really don't have many symptoms. It just happens. Nothing special going on at the time. Like I said, I feel like a drink of water "went down the wrong tube", but I am not drinking at the time. It is just a choking sensation and I cannot breath. If asthma feels like a chest tightening, that may not be it. This feels like a blocked airway, nothing in the chest. I guess symptoms are different for everyone though. Anyway, I will let you know when I find out what my deal is.

And sure, I would like to know why asthma gets worse in humid weather. I know they used to say Arizona was good for it but I am sure with all the pollution we have here nowadays, it's not good for anyone, with or without asthma, to breath here.

Jess

Pollen, which is a known trigger of an asthma attack, is suspended in the air. In high humidity, more pollen is suspended. Pior to rain, water droplets are taken up into the athmoshere(?), along with the pollen. When the rain falls, so doesn't the pollen, hence more exposure, hence more exposure to triggers, hence more possibilities of attacks.

As an asthmatic, what you are discribing is not the symptom of a true asthma attack. It is however a symptom of a problem that needs to be addressed. I strongly advise you to seek out the assistance of a pulmonary physician.

Grannynurse :balloons:

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Specializes in geriatrics, Iv Chemo in home, trach/vent.
Since you haven't outline your symptoms, I can't respond to those. Arizona is no longer the safe haven it once was for asthmatics. With it's expanding population, they have expended their green areas. They have bought their pollens into their enviornment and with those, increased their risks of respiratory illness. Low humidity generally does not cause an asthmatic attack. High humidity, coupled with rain, does increase the likelyhood of having probelems. Want to know the reason why????? :)

Grannynurse :balloons:

[by the by the "purple disk" is called advair, I think...I started taking that evil tasting thing this past august...along with my rescue inhaler of combivent]...:o

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[by the by the "purple disk" is called advair, I think...I started taking that evil tasting thing this past august...along with my rescue inhaler of combivent]...:o

I use advair and a rescue inhaler as well. ER doc just wrote me a scrip for a new nebulizer. I'm having problems now because of the flucuations in temperature, from the low 40s to the high 70s, low 80s. Suspect I'll be hospitalized this weekend. Friday it is only going to be 68 and Saturday 78.

Grannynurse:balloons:

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Hi, I know this might be way off the marker but I was stationed in Tucson for a little over 5 years and while there my husband and my dog contracted valley fever. A lot of people haven't heard about it and they live there. Your symptoms aren't the same as valley fever but it is different in most people or some people don't even know they have it but unfortunately my husband has the disseminated form of the disease and it is spreading. He has bone spurs and it was quite painful at first we thought he just had a bad case of the flu but nope it was valley fever so now he has to take diflucan for the rest of his life. He has even been in the hospital and had to take amphotericin B which is some wicked stuff. So just to be on the safe side have your doc test you for it. It is really and truly an awful thing to have. Go online and search for coccicidiomycosis or valley fever and you can learn more about it. And I truly hope all goes well with you.

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Hi

I find myself on your forum because I am really sick with asthma today. About Arizona... I had heard what GrannyNurse said. When you move, you definately do encounter new antigens. However, usually you get a "grace period" where you spend the first year getting exposed and building antibodies, then the second year start having allergic responses.

This is really an off the wall thought, but... are you in Flagstaff or some other high altitude city, or down around sea level? It takes a while to fully aclimate to high altitude. You are working at lower PaO2's because of the lower atmospheric pressure (instead of 760 torr, we are at about 630 and it makes a big difference in how you adapt.) Your respiratory rate goes up (unconsciously) and you tend to blow off CO2 and also have quite an increased insensible water loss.

You should still see your doctor. Nothing I've said has a whole lot to do with your symptoms except maybe one of your respiratory drive centers sort of is winking out, while another one asserts itself. Weird thoughts, I admit... but who knows.

Get it looked into. I'd recommend a pulmonologist, though some internists are pretty sharp about these things.

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