adult onset asthma

[Maple76]

I started wheezing in December while out walking particularly going uphill. But recently been having a tighter chest and waking up coughing. Has anyone else had it developed like this? Been prescribed Ventolin and started a preventer recently.

[petmice]

Mine started when I had bronchitis in my late 20's. I had no allergies and definitely not asthma as a child, and I didn't think adults could get asthma. Surprise! I'm blessed that it's usually mild...but it has been simply horrible for the past month. Don't know exactly why - it could be a long-haul symptom of the covid I had at Christmas or the minor heart procedure I had in February or just because it got tired of doing nothing.

Don't stop walking! I really enjoy day hikes with my family, but now I stick to trails with smaller hills and no stairs. I look for trails marked as child-friendly because they will be easier for me. I pay attention to how my body is doing and take breaks as needed; I love trails with benches here and there where I can rest while taking in the view. I'm also asking my doctor if it's time to change up my asthma medication until my lungs settle down.

[EllaRoulette]

So my asthma was triggered by being prescribed naproxen. I shouldn't have been prescribed it due to having childhood asthma that went and it scarred my lungs. I now have severe asthma due to this. A preventive inhaler can take a few months to work. It might be worth asking to see a respiratory specialist to see if they can check it's 100% asthma but if the inhaler works sometimes it just happens and odd triggers happen. If it runs in your family that could be a big reason.

[Homely2]

My adult onset asthma was diagnosed a couple of years ago. It is still developing and changing.

It is really a battle between on one side, your ability to work out and control the triggers plus an escalating range of medicines from the doctors against the asthma.

Some people get it under control and it is a minor irritant, for some people it takes a lot longer and develops further.

The key for me was my gp asthma nurse. A lot of doctors do not understand asthma, so you have to ensure that you go to someone at your gp practice who understands it.

There is a strong degree of self help, so you have to read up on the subject. The asthma UK website is a good starting point.

If you get confused or need advice ring the asthma UK helpline, their asthma nurses are very high quality.

A really good starting point would be working out your triggers, mine are dust mites, tree pollen, cold, heavy meals, stress, and heavy exercise. I identified them via a diary of my attacks and related events, plus a blood test at the hospital.

Some people take quite extreme measures to minimise their exposure to their triggers, for me simple things like changing my bedding a lot and eating smaller meals helped.

[MoxySuzy]

The way that your asthma symptoms presented is very similar to mine. I "suddenly" got asthma symptoms at around the age of 67. I noticed that I had problems getting enough breath when I was walking uphill and had to slow down and catch my breath. It was worse some days than others. I, too, would cough intermittently throughout the day - especially when I laid down to go to sleep or when I ran into an unknown "trigger" (like smoke, some burning herbs, certain smells, etc.). I would also wake up sometimes with chest tightness in the morning. I have always had seasonal allergies, so I have seen an allergist for decades and he immediately recognized my symptoms as "Cough Variant Asthma" and began my treating me for it. I just thought that I was having break through allergy symptoms! I have been on Breo (orally), Azelastine & Nasacort (nasal sprays), and Montelukast (pill) ever since I was originally diagnosed and have been able to manage my asthma very well (about 8 years). But I am having to treat my allergies & asthma concurrently, so my Rx regimen may not be appropriate for everyone. I recently changed asthma/allergy doctors to get all of the doctors that I see in one medical system so that they can better coordinate my medical care. As a result I recently went through a very extensive battery of breathing and asthma tests and, on my current Rx regimen, my new asthma doctor said that my breathing is now "almost normal". Be sure and see an asthma or allergist specialist to determine what will work best for you. There are so many wonderful new drugs on the market to treat asthma that doctors are able to tailor their prescriptions to specifically target an individuals specific symptoms. Good luck & keep having a full life!