I have recently been diagnosed with asthma. I have been placed on a steroid inhaler for 10 weeks then I have a review.
I have been advised to carry and Ventolin to take when required. This is where I need the info and any tips any other asthmatics may have, would be great.
How many times a day can I take this ventolin? I find I don’t really use it much at all. Should I be , Everytime I get puffed out but it does passes. Is that asthma or is that just me being unfit.
I am still trying to listen and learn my from body, to try and figure out when I actually need it, when I am over thinking it or am I not taking it enough. Or are the steroids, still working hard to get me to where i need to be.
The Dr hasn’t really told me much apart from take this and that. I don’t know what to expect or what I should be feeling. I think the steroids are slowly working as I am feeling it’s easier to the breathe but I’m so confused by it all. Does it get back to eventually feeling like I can breathe fully again. This probably sounds crazy but I just want to make sure I am doing this right and get better and have a good understanding of it.
Is it caused only by allergies? Anything else that may help? Anything to help me understand this. I don’t know anyone in my family who has it.
9 Replies
Hi I can help a little. You will get to know your symptoms, but wheezing persistent cough or struggling to feel like you’re getting a full breath are tips that taking ventolin is needed. You might feel anxious or panicked too. If you sit for a minute, if you’re unfit and puffed, you’ll get your breath back or it will at least start to come back. If it doesn’t, take ventolin. Then follow your plan.
You may need to sit out of sport or long walks for now until your steroids have fixed you up, because this can definitely trigger asthma if you’re not under control.
Also, change of weather, storms, smoke and bushfires, pollen and plants, animals, any kind of cold or virus, exercise, and even time of day can trigger it.
Make a note of how often you are taking it, because if your asthma is well managed you shouldn’t be taking ventolin often, If you are then your asthma is not well managed and you need to see a gp because we have been down that road and it ends in hospital trips and proper problems.
I was also told that adults should also use a spacer , this is because it delivers the dose properly. Something to look into. I also heard that adult women are at highest risk of dying of asthma, and I believe this is because women are reluctant to care for themselves (and with asthma, it can be too late) - so please do stay on top of it. I have drilled this in to my daughter. Take it seriously. And if you don’t feel better, don’t say oh well and give it time, early action.
There’s also the thing I’ve experienced where people really don’t know what asthma is at all, but here’s the catch - they somehow think they do. So they want to see a wheezing, gasping mess to believe it’s serious enough for an ambo or even a call to parents as we’ve experience a few times now. So get to know yourself and your plan and make sure yourself and family know to follow it.
Thank you, the is so helpful. I rarely get wheezing and if I do, it’s quite random and doesn't last long and isn’t when I am walking. From what I understood, asthma was always a wheeze and struggling to breathe. I didn’t realise until I was diagnosed as I don’t feel all the things, I had always been made to believe. I was left so confused as I have been undiagnosed for a long time. I had even been turned away from ER when I turned up and couldn’t breathe. They did check me and did an X-ray and sent me home. I have since been told, I would have been having an asthma attack at that time. It’s quite scary and I will definitely be on top of it. Thank you for your reply, you have given me a clearer understanding of it, what to do and what to expect.
Oh wow, we are fortunate to have always had the best treatment at hospitals, at least. Must have been very scary to have been sent home without help.
You will get to know it, may be worth getting one of those asthma bangles as well if you don’t appear as people expect ‘asthma’ to be.
Oh and many nurses have also said to us about the link between asthma and dairy - there is no evidence but some people swear that coming off dairy helps their asthma, so may be worth a try?
Oh and the other thing is to take Panadol and Claratyne when you start to get puffy/short of breath. The asthma symptoms can let you know there’s a virus or an allergy trigger before you know it, and taking those meds can keep the underlying cause at bay, which helps the asthma.
You will learn yourself how it is for you, it sounds like you could now look back and piece together what’s been happening for you for a long while.
Thank you. I haven’t heard of an asthma bangle. I will look into it and see what it is. You have been such a great help.
I'm chronic as is my son, who has landed in hospital a few times. Your Dr should have given you an asthma care plan to follow. For me, I take 2 puffs per attack, if in 10 mins it's not settled, I take 4 puffs. If your attack doesn't stop, report to hospital.
My son, is on 4 puffs when needed, and 6 puffs in extreme cases. I take him to hospital rather quickly as he has stopped breathing end almost needed incubation, and passed out several times.
It pays to know triggers. Like some foods can cause an attack, for me it's strong smells, windy days, super hot days.
OMG How scary. Thank you. You have all made me realise how serious this can be. I have gone short of breathe and feel like passing out twice over the past year when climbing stairs. It came on suddenly. I was so bad, I nearly rang an ambulance. Thinking back now, it must have been asthma. Dr sent me for a stress test. Even they didn’t mention asthma.
For me I have to be careful around changes in air pressure (storms etc). My preventer mainly keeps my asthma at bay so I only have to take my ventolin every now and then (mostly).
I’m pretty fit so exercise doesn’t usually trigger my asthma. But smoke, really cold air, storms, and illness can trigger an attack.
It starts as being a bit breathy, devolops into a cough and a wheeze.
Thank you I will be taking notice from now on.
I have asthma triggered by allergy, I can run and inhale as much smoke as I like but as soon as it gets to hayfever season I need an inhaler. It actually took me a long time to get diagnosed because I didn't tick all the boxes but it's been 20 years since diagnosis and it's definitely correct. Once you learn the triggers and what medication works for you it's very easy to manage and live a normal life. I guess mine is a lot easier to manage because it is allergy related so a simple antihistamine can help but once you find your triggers you can avoid them.