it may have been an asthma attack but i'm not sure...?

Question

the other day i was walking up a hill and i had what i believe was an asthma attack.i ahve walked this route before and nothing like this ever happened, i was always just a bit out of breath.i was fine until my throat cloesed up and i cud hardly breathe, my lip swelled up, i felt really dizzy and i was wheezing really badly. i went to see my doctor and he thinks it is asthma, it runs in my family but i have never had asthma before,especially not an asthma attack.i went for an xray and now im waiting to find out what it was and why it suddenly came on...
anyone else experienced anything like this?

i have felt totally fine since this attack, my breathing is still exactly the same since before the attack

i'm sure it wasnt an allergy attack, i did eat a Bounty bar before i was walking but i have never reacted in any way to them before so i have no idea!

Answer 1

Your throat and lips do not swell up during an asthma attack. This sounds like a mild case of anaphlaxis. You had an allergic reaction to something, and no it doesn't have to be the bounty bar.

Answer 2

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 3

Never mind about other people but do mind that you take your inhaler. I do not know what inhaler you have been given but the fact that your attacks are getting worse could indicate that you may require a preventative inhaler, which is different from your reliever. The idea is that you take recommened measured daily puffs say two puffs and that eventually it will reduce the need to take your reliever so often. The preventative is normally of the steriod type and can be very effective at controlling your asthma and I would suggest that you go and speak to either your doctor or the practice nurse at the surgery you attend. I am sure with a little tweeking of your medication your condition will improve dramatically. But you need to be proactive in helping with this improvement i.e. speak to your doc. Ignore people just imagine how ill you would be if you denied yourself your inhaler just because you feel conscious about taking it. You can always turn your back on them. All the very best and above all try not to worry too much it will come right for you but do not neglect your health.

Answer 4

yes

years ago, when I was doing a lot of soldering in a badly ventilated room. I was also diagnosed with asthma, supposedly triggered by a reaction to the fumes.

I did the peak flow tests and got excellent marks in every one - not normally what you get with asthma. None of the treatments worked for me, and later the breathing problems seemed to mutate into something much more to do with stress. The solution to those is to sort of meditate using relaxation CDs. The asthma treatments had no effect at all.

It's weird. I had exactly what you describe, but it fizzled out into nothing, and what I ended up with is managed with psychology, not inhalers. To be honest I prefer it like this.

Answer 5

i have asthma and it is not genetic to my knowledge. seeing that your lip swelled up it makes me wonder if you are just having an allergic reaction to something. did you eat anything different that day or put anything topical on your skin, in your mouth that may have caused a reaction like this? any new medications or vitamins? sometimes our lungs react differently than we are used to due to pollutants, excersize, etc...we try to medicalize everything and give it a name and a reason to be there. please don't jump to the conclusion that you have asthma, but don't rule it out either. the doctor may give you an albuteral inhaler to help through times like what you experienced to comfort you but medication for treatment is really expensive and if you can avoid it because it isn't necessary i hope you would.

if it ever happens again you should stop what you're doing, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, if you are around a sink, steam your face and lungs by running hot water and draping a towel over your head. caffiene also helps with asthmatic-type attacks. dairy will only exacerbate the problem. good luck!

Answer 6

my first thought was panic attack! Or an allergy of some kind....with the lip swelling and throat closing sounds more like a reaction to 'something'. Was there a lot of Pollen about that day??? Allergic Rhinitis may be the cause.


Symptoms of an allergic reaction include any, some, or many of these:

Skin - Redness, itching, swelling, blistering, weeping, crusting, rash, eruptions, or hives (itchy bumps or welts)

Lungs - Wheezing, tightness, cough, or shortness of breath

Head - Swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat; headache

Nose - Stuffy nose, runny nose (clear, thin discharge), sneezing

Eyes - Red (bloodshot), itchy, swollen, or watery
see link below for symptoms of panic attack and for allergic reactions.

Answer 7

If you are over weight and climbing an up slop, it is natural to have this type of breathlessness and strain in breathing. Don't get alarmed. If you have some genetic continuation of asthma attack, it will not start like a stroke. It will appear slowly stage by stage.
My presumption is that it is only due to slop ride.

Any how start doing regular breathing excercise and yoga.

Be bold. Vist this site http://www.yogaguruonline.com/ to know about pranayama.

Good luck and best health.

Baba

Answer 8

HI- It does sound like an asthma attack, just in case carry a paper-bag with you it does help when you get an attack, My wife is a sufferer of this simptom, & of course breath through the nose & out of the mouth air gets to the lungs quicker because you can take deeper breaths with-out it burning your throut,D.F;

Answer 9

Sounds like it.Not sure about the lip swelling up,never seen that before.Are you sure you didn't eat something that could have triggered an attack because that sounds like an allergic reaction asthma attack

Answer 10

Sorry, it is asthma. My little brother had asthma and had a few attacks.