Those of you with asthma…

[igotdemons]

…what were your first symptoms and how were you diagnosed?

I’m asking because for the last 6 months my lungs haven’t felt ‘normal’. It’s really hard to explain but they almost feel ‘tickly’ when I breathe in if that makes any sense! It doesn’t always make me want to cough but sometimes it does. I’ve noticed that I’m finding it harder to breathe in face masks than I did last year, sprays of any description (cleaning, aerosol etc) sit right on my chest when they never did before and I happened to walk by somebody smoking over the weekend and my goodness my chest did not like that and caused me to cough quite a bit. I find breathing in a steamy room when I shower feels like it takes more effort than it should. Just lately I’ve been getting an intermittent ache all along where the bottom of my bra sits and in my upper back, shoulder blades and into the tops of both arms. I’m wondering whether the inflammation is putting pressure on my chest cavity? It seems worse if I eat a bigger meal, i.e. my stomach is fuller as I don’t get it if I eat smaller meals (sometimes it comes on when I haven’t eaten anything so I’ve had gallstones ruled out already). There doesn’t seem to be a pattern with it but it’s appeared after I’ve been noticing my other symptoms gradually getting worse.

I’m at risk due to other autoimmune diseases and have contacted my GP surgery. Haven’t been seen yet because they wanted me to take a PCR test first as they thought my symptoms were COVID (it was negative). So whilst I’m waiting to hear back I thought I’d ask for your experiences as I don’t really know anything about what it’s like living with asthma or treating it and I have to admit it’s making me a little anxious 😕

Doesn't sound like asthma that I've experienced. I started when I was 9 and it was wheezing and shortness of breath.

As I've grown up I wheeze less but cough more, especially with a cold. It's not really impacted my appetite or fullness in my stomach. Also I don't ache with it anywhere else.
My peak flow is pretty pathetic as well.
You may or may not have asthma, you might even be given an inhaler even if it's not.
I hope you get sorted either way though.

I’m not a wheezy asthmatic. Even when I have a flare up I rarely wheeze. Poorly controlled Asthma for me starts as a cough, worst at night. The difficulty breathing is only there if I’ve not taken my meds (rare) or if I have an infection.
There’s a few things that can cause breathing difficulties. It’s not necessarily asthma but it’s worth talking to your GP.

It fits my symptoms to some extent.

I get, as you describe

• tickling or itching that l feels like it is in my lungs, and as it gets worse refers to my neck/under my chin
• worse after overeating
• coughing in response to an irritant

I don't get back pain.

I also get (if poorly controlled)
-coughing and/or wheezing, particularly at night (it would wake me in the night)

• attacks of coughing / wheezing / shortness of breath from exercise, or from some kind of stimulation like laughing or going out in cold air
• general feeling of being on the edge of this happening
• worse when tired or stressed

My asthma is somehow allergy related (never quite worked out exactly what), and responds well to antihistamines alongside inhalers.

My asthma symptoms sound exactly like yours with the exception of problems when eating. I never wheeze but do get a cough, pain and tightness, having to work hard to breathe around aerosols of steam. I had it as a child and grew out of it then got flu as a young adult and it came back again. Every few years I go through a good patch and can wean myself off inhalers or at least on a lower dose but then if I get poorly it gets a lot worse and I need to go to higher doses again. I am still on the higher dose nearly a year after getting suspected covid.