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4 Responses to “Help a fiction writer by describing your experiences with asthma?”
I have mild asthma. My early signs are i have mild chest pain (not exactly a pain but i feel someone is trying to block my lungs). Also, my head feels a little heaviness. Then I start having the feeling that my room is getting a little dusty and I start having diffuculty breathing. At that point I figure out that another one is coming. So I get my inhaler. But as the inhaler has sideeffects i wait for a couple of minutes to see if it’s getting worse.
The worst thing about a bad asthma attack is that no matter how many attacks you had before, you can not stop panicking. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THAT THE WORLD SEEMS TO HAVE LESS THAN NECCESSARY AIR TO FILL YOUR LUNGS.
After a really bad attack, i usually stand outside for a while and try to breath fresh air. If thats not possible I lie down and try not to do anything stressful. But mostly that’s not possible.
Preventative medicine would be used if the attacks are too frequent and not under control. The Advair discus is a preventative taken twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. You don’t always taste the inhalation. Hard to describe it…you feel it on your tongue though when you’re inhaling. Sometimes feels like little speckles. Singulair is another preventative in pill form. That you take once daily. I also use Spiriva which is a newer preventative. No taste. You crush the pill in the container they give you and inhale the powder. Sometimes you hear a loud rattling as you’re inhaling. Haven’t experienced any side effects for any of those.
Rescue inhalers are used at the slightest sign of an oncoming attack. You pump it once, inhale, hold your breath then breathe out. Wait a minute and then take a second puff. Sometimes has a taste. I don’t know how to describe it though… Taste lingers for a few seconds sometimes. For me, it will take either 5-15 minutes for it to take effect. If, however, I’m not feeling any relief, I will have to take more puffs. Will describe that type of an attack in the last paragraph. Sometimes those attacks will last at least a half hour until the medicine starts to work. Technically, if the inhaler doesn’t work after 2 puffs, you should call 911.
When an attack comes on, there are many things you can feel and many different warning signs. Everyone’s different and all attacks are different. Sometimes, all that will happen is you cough. It will be a dry, non-productive wheezy cough or a rattling cough which is dry and non-productive.
Another sign is chest tightness. You will literally feel as if you are suddenly carrying a huge weight on your chest. Other times, you’ll be breathing normally then all of a sudden you become conscious of your own breathing and will have to take an occasionally deep inhalation, as if you’re trying to inflate your own lungs with extra effort. You feel as if you ran out of air and have to **** more in. This sign is more quiet because the gasps are occasional.
A full blown attack contains many signs. You feel the chest tightness, you are conscious of your breathing (meaning you actually have to think about breathing and it takes effort), and you suddenly feel as if you’re inhalations are not getting enough air to your lungs. When you inhale, you hear a loud wheeze. I describe this sound like this: Picture a cup from a fast food restaurant. If you’ve ever moved your straw up and down while it’s still in the cover, you hear a high pitched whistle sound as it scrapes the cover. That is very similar to what an asthmatic wheeze sounds like. So you hear yourself inhaling with this sound. At first your exhalations are quiet, but as the attack progresses, your inhalations and exhalations contain a wheeze. You don’t get enough air so your brain tells you to breathe faster to get more air. So the wheeze and your gasps become quick. Your body tends to hunch over as you hold onto your knees for balance. You are trying to keep your strength so you can use all of it to get breaths. Tears come to my eyes almost instantaneously – you don’t even think about crying, it just comes on. For me, when trying to take my rescue inhaler I have to find a pause in between my gasps to attempt to breathe in the medicine. Sometimes you don’t take it immediately because you’re just so focused on gasping and getting air. So you have to find a quick break in between to take the inhaler. After that, when I breathe out from it it is a LOUD gasp and the quicker breathing starts up again. Getting a strong cup of tea or coffee also helps me. So if someone is with me, they make it and I try to take sips in between the gasps. Your chest begins to ache incredibly and your back starts to hurt. This type of an attack can last at least a half hour. When it subsides, you notice the gasps are more separated as the speed of it slows down. Wheezing is still there though. Picture a motor if you will. At the intense moments it’s at full speed. Then it slows down gradually until it is completely off. That’s how an asthma attack slows down for me. The process is intense and then slows down gradually. As this is happening, and as you’re hearing yourself slow down, you are much relieved.
After it’s completely over, I’m usually in a numb state. I sit and stare for a while, anticipating another one (because that can happen). This state normally lasts at least another half hour or a few hours. I usually rest on the couch or in my bed with my pillows propped up. Life kind of seems foggy during this state. Pretty much because you’ve used so much energy JUST to breathe. Body and muscle aches generally happen and you feel really weak. It takes a while for me to go on with the day after a severe attack, just because of everything you have to go through emotionally and physically.
Smaller attacks are much less dramatic. Usually at the small signs, I take my rescue inhaler and wait a few minutes and then I usually just move on with the day unaffected. It’s the severe attacks that really mess with you.
Hope this helped…. I’d be interested in reading your story!
I’ve had asthma ever since I was born. As an infant, my mom would put her hand on my chest and literally feel my lungs rattling. Then I had colic- a great instigator for Asthma.
I’m 33 now, so I don’t know a lot about what medicines are now available as far as everyday. I only use a rescue inhaler. However, I often take it BEFORE exercising, to ward off an attack, and just to help me breathe easier while I work hard.
My rescue inhaler is so strong that it makes my heart race, and I always have to eat something afterwards. In fact, they had to test my heart to make sure it was strong enough before they gave me the medicine.
You have to shake the inhaler a lot before you use it. You would normally pump it once or twice, then wait about 15-20 minutes before doing so again. The taste is simply awful! It can make you ***. But there is help for that. It is called an aerator. It looks like a clear tube, which you insert your inhaler into in one end, while you put your mouth on the other end. You pump once or twice, then breathe in. This gets rid of the *** reflex and a lot of the bad taste. Because of this, it is highly recommended because you get more medicine this way.
An attack feels like there is an iron band around my chest, and it is shrinking. My collar bones hurt from the stress. I can’t breathe while lying on my back. When in a pool, sometimes the pressure of the water all around me can feel like an attack. It can be very scary.
The warnings are very short- shortness of breath, a sense of panic. When it subsides, the relief almost puts you to sleep. Afterwards, I feel shaky and weak. As I said, I have to eat, but then I go on with my day- but try to keep physical exertion to a minimum.
Hi you are getting some good accurate info. so far. I answered this question in another catagory. Please read it carefully. No I’m not point chaseing,lol only want accurate info. used. Please ust the info you gathere accurtely in good taste. Thanks
Jim in N.C.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Audrey Goldsberry
I have mild asthma. My early signs are i have mild chest pain (not exactly a pain but i feel someone is trying to block my lungs). Also, my head feels a little heaviness. Then I start having the feeling that my room is getting a little dusty and I start having diffuculty breathing. At that point I figure out that another one is coming. So I get my inhaler. But as the inhaler has sideeffects i wait for a couple of minutes to see if it’s getting worse.
The worst thing about a bad asthma attack is that no matter how many attacks you had before, you can not stop panicking. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THAT THE WORLD SEEMS TO HAVE LESS THAN NECCESSARY AIR TO FILL YOUR LUNGS.
After a really bad attack, i usually stand outside for a while and try to breath fresh air. If thats not possible I lie down and try not to do anything stressful. But mostly that’s not possible.
Hope I helped.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Allen Boehm
Preventative medicine would be used if the attacks are too frequent and not under control. The Advair discus is a preventative taken twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. You don’t always taste the inhalation. Hard to describe it…you feel it on your tongue though when you’re inhaling. Sometimes feels like little speckles. Singulair is another preventative in pill form. That you take once daily. I also use Spiriva which is a newer preventative. No taste. You crush the pill in the container they give you and inhale the powder. Sometimes you hear a loud rattling as you’re inhaling. Haven’t experienced any side effects for any of those.
Rescue inhalers are used at the slightest sign of an oncoming attack. You pump it once, inhale, hold your breath then breathe out. Wait a minute and then take a second puff. Sometimes has a taste. I don’t know how to describe it though… Taste lingers for a few seconds sometimes. For me, it will take either 5-15 minutes for it to take effect. If, however, I’m not feeling any relief, I will have to take more puffs. Will describe that type of an attack in the last paragraph. Sometimes those attacks will last at least a half hour until the medicine starts to work. Technically, if the inhaler doesn’t work after 2 puffs, you should call 911.
When an attack comes on, there are many things you can feel and many different warning signs. Everyone’s different and all attacks are different. Sometimes, all that will happen is you cough. It will be a dry, non-productive wheezy cough or a rattling cough which is dry and non-productive.
Another sign is chest tightness. You will literally feel as if you are suddenly carrying a huge weight on your chest. Other times, you’ll be breathing normally then all of a sudden you become conscious of your own breathing and will have to take an occasionally deep inhalation, as if you’re trying to inflate your own lungs with extra effort. You feel as if you ran out of air and have to **** more in. This sign is more quiet because the gasps are occasional.
A full blown attack contains many signs. You feel the chest tightness, you are conscious of your breathing (meaning you actually have to think about breathing and it takes effort), and you suddenly feel as if you’re inhalations are not getting enough air to your lungs. When you inhale, you hear a loud wheeze. I describe this sound like this: Picture a cup from a fast food restaurant. If you’ve ever moved your straw up and down while it’s still in the cover, you hear a high pitched whistle sound as it scrapes the cover. That is very similar to what an asthmatic wheeze sounds like. So you hear yourself inhaling with this sound. At first your exhalations are quiet, but as the attack progresses, your inhalations and exhalations contain a wheeze. You don’t get enough air so your brain tells you to breathe faster to get more air. So the wheeze and your gasps become quick. Your body tends to hunch over as you hold onto your knees for balance. You are trying to keep your strength so you can use all of it to get breaths. Tears come to my eyes almost instantaneously – you don’t even think about crying, it just comes on. For me, when trying to take my rescue inhaler I have to find a pause in between my gasps to attempt to breathe in the medicine. Sometimes you don’t take it immediately because you’re just so focused on gasping and getting air. So you have to find a quick break in between to take the inhaler. After that, when I breathe out from it it is a LOUD gasp and the quicker breathing starts up again. Getting a strong cup of tea or coffee also helps me. So if someone is with me, they make it and I try to take sips in between the gasps. Your chest begins to ache incredibly and your back starts to hurt. This type of an attack can last at least a half hour. When it subsides, you notice the gasps are more separated as the speed of it slows down. Wheezing is still there though. Picture a motor if you will. At the intense moments it’s at full speed. Then it slows down gradually until it is completely off. That’s how an asthma attack slows down for me. The process is intense and then slows down gradually. As this is happening, and as you’re hearing yourself slow down, you are much relieved.
After it’s completely over, I’m usually in a numb state. I sit and stare for a while, anticipating another one (because that can happen). This state normally lasts at least another half hour or a few hours. I usually rest on the couch or in my bed with my pillows propped up. Life kind of seems foggy during this state. Pretty much because you’ve used so much energy JUST to breathe. Body and muscle aches generally happen and you feel really weak. It takes a while for me to go on with the day after a severe attack, just because of everything you have to go through emotionally and physically.
Smaller attacks are much less dramatic. Usually at the small signs, I take my rescue inhaler and wait a few minutes and then I usually just move on with the day unaffected. It’s the severe attacks that really mess with you.
Hope this helped…. I’d be interested in reading your story!
November 21st, 2008 at 2:04 am
Edward Arriaga
I’ve had asthma ever since I was born. As an infant, my mom would put her hand on my chest and literally feel my lungs rattling. Then I had colic- a great instigator for Asthma.
I’m 33 now, so I don’t know a lot about what medicines are now available as far as everyday. I only use a rescue inhaler. However, I often take it BEFORE exercising, to ward off an attack, and just to help me breathe easier while I work hard.
My rescue inhaler is so strong that it makes my heart race, and I always have to eat something afterwards. In fact, they had to test my heart to make sure it was strong enough before they gave me the medicine.
You have to shake the inhaler a lot before you use it. You would normally pump it once or twice, then wait about 15-20 minutes before doing so again. The taste is simply awful! It can make you ***. But there is help for that. It is called an aerator. It looks like a clear tube, which you insert your inhaler into in one end, while you put your mouth on the other end. You pump once or twice, then breathe in. This gets rid of the *** reflex and a lot of the bad taste. Because of this, it is highly recommended because you get more medicine this way.
An attack feels like there is an iron band around my chest, and it is shrinking. My collar bones hurt from the stress. I can’t breathe while lying on my back. When in a pool, sometimes the pressure of the water all around me can feel like an attack. It can be very scary.
The warnings are very short- shortness of breath, a sense of panic. When it subsides, the relief almost puts you to sleep. Afterwards, I feel shaky and weak. As I said, I have to eat, but then I go on with my day- but try to keep physical exertion to a minimum.
Hope that helps!
November 21st, 2008 at 11:31 am
Carla Mckenzie
Hi you are getting some good accurate info. so far. I answered this question in another catagory. Please read it carefully. No I’m not point chaseing,lol only want accurate info. used. Please ust the info you gathere accurtely in good taste. Thanks
Jim in N.C.