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Covid

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Original poster

Asthmatic cough v Covid cough?

23 replies

PinotLovesMomma · 06/10/2020 06:06

When to know the difference?
Have any asthmatics tested positive? Was your cough any different than normal?

I've been wheezy for a few days (settled by ventolin) I've now started coughing, sorry for TMI but its hard and wet and bringing up mucus. For me this is normal and happens to me every year around this time when the weather changes. For now the cough isn't too bad but past experience tells me it can get quite bad and prolonged.

OP posts:

Original poster

PinotLovesMomma · 06/10/2020 10:53

Bump

OP posts:

Bubblemonkey · 06/10/2020 11:35

I got a test cause I was retching multiple times a day from coughing. Can be from my asthma, could have also been from covid. I was running warm, too.

Porcupineinwaiting · 06/10/2020 12:07

I coughed more, but not horrendously, w COVID but in all honesty the cough was one amongst a plethora of symptoms that pointed to me having caught it. Based on conversations with other sufferers, I'd be surprised if you just got a worse cough without any other symptoms- fatigue, fever, headache, loss of smell etc (not necessarily all of them but at least one).

lalalalaloo · 06/10/2020 12:14

I had a very very tight chest with Covid, but not much of a cough. When I did cough I brought up weird little white stuff.

My asthmatic cough was completely different.

Fyzz · 06/10/2020 12:15

I have allergic asthma and my cough is always worse this time of year. Its no worse now than last autumn but it is worse than summer. Honestly without other symptoms I won't be getting a test.

lentilsforlunch · 06/10/2020 12:21

They say something like get tested if you have a new/continuous cough or if you usually have a cough, one that's worse than normal, don't they?

I just got a negative covid test back and pretty sure its viral bronchitis but at least having isolated and checked it out I can look people in the supermarket queue in the eye if it goes on for weeks/months. Bit peed off about this having spent
most of the summer with a chronic allergic cough.

You could call asthma uk for advice?

Original poster

PinotLovesMomma · 06/10/2020 12:25

@Fyzz

I have allergic asthma and my cough is always worse this time of year. Its no worse now than last autumn but it is worse than summer. Honestly without other symptoms I won't be getting a test.

Thanks i have no other symptoms at all. Its hard being out in public with an asthma cough these days everyone looks at you like you have the plague

OP posts:

Friendsoftheearth · 06/10/2020 12:31

An easy way to figure it out that we found was to give my dd her blue inhaler - a few puffs. If the cough dies down immediately it isn't covid. I appreciate all asthmatics are different, so maybe it won't work for everyone but it has worked for us. The dry asthma persistent cough sounds just like covid!

Stellaris22 · 06/10/2020 13:03

I have cough variant asthma and it's always worse at this time of year.

As a pp has said, if it feels like your normal asthma symptoms and don't have other covid symptoms I wouldn't worry.

I would get tested but only because I'd need to for work.

McCheney73 · 06/10/2020 13:21

I have asthma and I had suspected covid back in March (don't know for sure as no test)

The asthma cough is quite similar however my inhaler helps normally but didn't touch it back in March if anything it bad it worse! I literally did not stop coughing dawn to dusk. Never been that bad before. Also found it made me very breathless.

I always get coughs this time of year the change of weather always flares it up. Slight one now but due to a cold I'm getting over.

Maybe your gp could help? Mine has been great and helped me loads and also as another post stated see if your inhaler helps.

micc · 06/10/2020 13:26

My DD has asthmatic tendencies as she is only 4 she hasn't been properly diagnosed.. she got her usual cough end of August just like she normally does, we think she has a bit of allergies as well. We got her a test as nursery would ask, then we got her one before she started school so we were armed with a new test as she was coughing a lot, again this is really normal for her autumn winter. She had a few days of horrendous asthma. And I didnt want to keep getting tests plus it was impossible to get one. She was wheezing loads and coughing loads, we gave her more inhaler than we usually do I ended up keeping her off for 2 days as she wasnt sleeping anyway. It's so difficult, because I wouldn't of even batted an eyelid if this had happened in a normal year. Maybe get one just so you armed with it, if work or anything asks and to make you feel better. My sister had asthma growing up too and I remember her coughing from autumn to spring! But the cough your describing sounds just like a normal asthma cough if you ask me.. so hard to know what the right thing is to do.

perfectpanda · 06/10/2020 13:32

I think you know your own cough. My teenage dd is asthmatic and had a coughing fit last week. Everything about it seemed asthmatic and she dosed up on inhalers etc and it settled. But then she coughed again in morning and it persisted which made it clearer it was actualy a 'cough ' rather than just her asthma, as this is unusual for her.. even though she is prone to coughs, it was a new cough. she got a negative test and has coughed all week but I can send her to school....

Porcupineinwaiting · 06/10/2020 13:38

And yes I agree w McCheney one notable difference for the cv cough was that my inhaler made no difference to it at all.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 06/10/2020 13:43

@Fyzz

I have allergic asthma and my cough is always worse this time of year. Its no worse now than last autumn but it is worse than summer. Honestly without other symptoms I won't be getting a test.

I'm suspecting I have allergic asthma and it actually seems worse than last year. I have no idea what I'm allergic to and the doctor doesn't seem to worried! I'm not pushing it too much at the moment either. I've had a couple of tests but I can't keep being tested, they may as well give me my own bay at the test centre!

annlee3817 · 06/10/2020 13:45

My DD has allergy asthma, and thankfully I filled out an asthma plan at school the other week which I was able to state that her asthma presents itself in the form of a cough. I think the tell tale thing for me would be if she gets a temperature, otherwise I would assume it's her allergies. Generally even with a normal cold she doesn't get a temp, not easy is it. I got tested last week due to a new continuous cough and thankfully it was negative, but have been diagnosed with a chest infection, coughing on the school run isn't fun though, feel like I need to write "negative test result" on my back 😬

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 06/10/2020 13:45

I should have said I haven't self diagnosed allergic asthma, the doctor suspected it and gave me an inhaler which doesn't seem to help very much.

Rainallnight · 06/10/2020 13:46

I’m dreading this for me this winter. Do I have to self isolate every time my asthma flares up and try to find a bloody test?

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 06/10/2020 13:47

@annlee3817 I want to do the same! I had a test last week as my cough seemed worse. It was negative thankfully but I still feel embarrassed!

Fyzz · 06/10/2020 15:58

I rarely cough in the morning it gets worse evening and night and I cough when I lie down. I think you have to assess whether the cough us "normal" for you. If it isn't then get a test.

BG2015 · 06/10/2020 18:11

I'm asthmatic and developed a cough over the weekend. I occasionally cough with my asthma.

I have no other symptoms at all. I feel fine but have used my blue inhaler quite a bit.

I had the flu jab last week but doubt that's brought my cough on.

I've previously had 2 tests (during lockdown) both negative.

Just don't know what to think

Original poster

PinotLovesMomma · 06/10/2020 18:19

@Fyzz my asthma is also worse at night and my coughing at the moment is most definitely normal for me
@BG2015 I've been using my inhaler a lot more over the past week too but I put it down to the change in the weather. What prompted you to get tested? Did you have other symptoms or just conscious of the fact you were coughing?

I guess I'm just a bit scared of being judged when I'm out if a coughing fit starts, everyone will think I'm being irresponsible being out with a cough.

OP posts:

BG2015 · 06/10/2020 18:30

I got tested in the summer as a result of the Zoe app both times.

The first time I logged an upset stomach /diarrhoea and fatigue. The second was a headache and slight temperature- neither times did I have a cough. Both came back negative.

I'm a teacher so am very conscious of any illness I'm feeling.

Iwantmychairback · 06/10/2020 20:25

I was going to ask the same question.
I was diagnosed with allergic Asthma years ago. One of the triggers is paint and my office was above a spray booth at a vehicle repair shop at the time. I left the job and now only cough when I laugh or go from a hot building to cold outside, or vice verse. I haven’t used an inhaler for a long time. A few coughs lasting ten minutes max usually sorts me out. But I am more conscious than ever at the moment of having coughing fits. As it’s not an unusual cough for me, I’m not even thinking of testing. I may however go back to using an inhaler.

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