Why has my asthma suddenly got worse?

Question

I've had asthma since childhood, I'm now 33 and it's started deteriorating. Is this common? I'm otherwise helathy, haven't changed my diet, don't smoke...

Seen GP who re-prescribed me a steroid (he stopped giving them to me when I was about 15 as it was under control) so I'm confused.

Any ideas / alternatives to pumping me full of steroids which usually gave me throat infections (yes I do the rinse mouth with water afterwards.)

Answer 1

As an asthma sufferer, I can offer you some suggestions. You may be allergic to things now that you weren't allergic to earlier in life. Weight gain can trigger asthma. Asthma is an immune system disease. It is also an inflammatory disease. You may want to adjust your diet by eating more fish, less eggs and cut way back on sugar. There is a book that could be helpful to you called Win the War Within. Link is below.

Something I've been doing for the past year is taking a pro-biotic and a product called Juice Plus. For the first time ever, I did not have so much as a cold this past winter. I usually get bronchitis every year.

You can improve your health with supplements and nutrition. I have tried many things over the years but never the nutritional aspect or supplements like Juice Plus. After a year of using both methods, I'm healthier today than I have been in 20 years. You may want to seek the help of a nutritionist (not the same as a dietitian).
Blessings to you as you seek to regain your health.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Asthma is an allergy and is triggered by something. The best non medication treatment for asthma is learning your triggers and avoiding them. Common triggers are smoke, dust, mold, mildew, plants, dust mites, pets and grass/weeds.

If you can not figure our your triggers, you may need to see an allergist and have allergy screening done. This may point out your triggers.

The National Asthma Prevention Program and the Expert Panel of Diagnosis and Management of Asthma both agree if you have to use a prescription inhaler such as albuterol more then two time per week, your asthma is NOT in control and you will need a prescription controller medication.

Controller medications are steroids (Asthmacort Asthmanex, Flovent, Pulmocort), Leukotriene modifier (Singulair, Aculade, Zyflo) or mast cell stabilizers (Cromolyn sodium, Intal, Tilade).

You may want to talk to your doctor about several strong controller medications and maybe Xolair shots.

If you want a proven, all-natural way to cure your asthma, without having to pay for useless medications with harmful side-effects, then this is the most important page you'll ever read.

Answer 4

My children both have asthma and my son's has gotten much better since he was around 4 or 5 when it was the worst. I asked the doctor if that meant he had "grown out of it." She has a boy with asthma also and said, that we will see it go through stages probably. She said when ever there are hormone changes taking place in the body we would probably see an increase (like during puberty and when a man is in his early to mid 30s.) Hope this helps.

Also you may want to ask your doctor about some new steroids on the market. We have had tremendous luck with Asmanex.

Also, my daughters asthma is very severe and she was taking many meds, which we didn't like and we started looking for some alternatives. I took her to a chiropractor and this has helped her tremendously.

Answer 5

YES! Please get an Ionic Breeze Ionizer from Sharper Image. No substitutes. I had been on allergy shots for 20 years and was still having bouts of asthma. When I got the Ionic Breeze, the allergens were gone in my home and so were my allergies.I was able to stop the shots and use Benedryl when needed!

Also, ask your doctor if you might try taking a medicine called Bentyl. In the generic it's not expensive. It is an involuntary muscle relaxant. It's not commonly used to treat asthma, but it helps me. It sure beats those steroids!

Let me know if you get the Ionic Breeze. My mother, sister and niece have one now too, as asthma and allergies run in my family.They are all helped by it. My email is [e-mail]

Answer 6

More pollution from large industries. (not neccessarily even in your own area, can drift or be borne on the wind from a long way away, people in Britain were affected by the Chernobyl disaster!)
I think stress can have an effect on it too. Has anything in your life changed lately? Or has anything happened that could trigger memories of past events? I know steroids are not good for anyone. Have you thought about going to see a naturopath? I saw one years ago when I had had leg pain for months and the doctors were stumped, although I didn't believe in naturopaths, and to my surprise (and delight!) I was cured of my problem in a week after he gave me a diet sheet and told me what foods to avoid. It's worth a try and you never know you might get cured!

Answer 7

talk to your doc. there are other inhalers like atrovent or albuterol. plus he can add in a steriod like prednisone for limited use. some people have what are called breathing treatments that are done at home which are bascially inhaled treatments of drugs like xopenex/albuterol through mask connected to an air machine. the problem with asthma is that once the linings of the lungs are inflamed, regular inhalers have a hard time getting it under control. you might need whats called an emergency inhaler that is a limited use inhaler and then followed up with advair/albuterol inhalers. best to talk with your doc or ask for a referral to a specialist.

Answer 8

you have to find your triggering factor...which is certainly easier said than done...avoiding that will reduce your asthma frequency

steroids are preventers, so there is no other way around it unless you can avoid the triggers, but even then it doesn't mean that you are asthma-proof again

just start back on the steroids: they are inhaled and low-dose without much effect, and get your asthma under control!!

Answer 9

if you don't want to use drugs look up something called Buteyko. It teaches you how to breathe correctly so you need inhaler less. I was a bit synical to begin with, but it actually works. I'm 21 and haven't used my inhaler in 6 months despite needing it every day for the previous 19 years

Answer 10

There might be some iritants in the environment you are living in now,that you are unaware of.Did you recently move,or go near a high dust concetration area,or something like that?
Check the environment variables in the place u are staying now to make sure nothing has changed.