Altitude, cold and badly behaved lung... - Asthma Community ...

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Altitude, cold and badly behaved lungs....

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Hello, I have been lurking for a little while and have benefited from some of the advice on here and thought it was about time I posted.

I guess brief history, I have been asthmatic since I was little, in and out of hospital as a kid, however, it kind of calmed down as I got older. Up until March this year I was very well controlled, and almost symptom free. In March I got a chest infection and it has been uncontrolled since despite numerous trips to the doctors, change in medication etc. I see a very good asthma nurse who is doing her best and slowly and surely we are winning the battle over my set of stubborn lungs!

Everything would be fine but I am going on a month long trip to Ecuador soon and I am a little bit worried about how I am going to cope with the cold and altitude. We will be spending 2 weeks in the high Andes ~4500m asl and then 2 weeks in the Amazon lowlands ~1000m asl so the climate will go from being cold to warm and humid. We will be camping in the high altitude and far from any help, however, the lowlands will be in a hotel nearish to a rural hospital. I have pred and antibiotics for the trip along with plenty of inhalers.

I guess I was wondering if any one had any personal experience of trips like this and might be able to offer me any advice on how to cope with the trip? My doctor isn't entirely happy about me going and I am a little bit nervous! Sorry for the ramble, I think the scale of the trip has all of a sudden hit me, but I don't want my lungs to get in the way and spoil it for me or the people from work I am going with!

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