Second hand vape

[Artforever]

Hi, I'm trying to identify my triggers. My husband vapes, he used to smoke, then he he used artificial cigarettes, but now vapes. I can't be sure but suspect my asthma started when he changed to vaping. Any conments would be interesting.

[MELNEL]

I can be sure that I would get problems if someone vaping in front of me, special if it is a strong flavor.

I remember when I started to stop smoking, I really tried a lot stuff and as well a vapour I couldn't use it, I stated coughing and get wheezy as well my doctor told me not to use this. I have severe asthma and get problems if anything has a strong smell, perfume, bleach, lots of cleaning products or certain air freshener. It would trigger my asthma, that I get wheezy. Hope it will be of help. 🌺🌺🌺

[Artforever in reply to MELNEL]

Thank you, I too notice strong perfumes and smells are affecting me, cough, cough, cough. I recongnised it after shopping in Morrisons once when I spent sometime looking for SURCARE, washing powder, the overpowering scents in that aisle caused an episode. Now I wizz in and out of those aisles.

[Lindeer]

I used to be okay around people vaping, but more recently anything with artificial scent/perfume seems to set me off, including vapor unfortunately. It's difficult to identify triggers when things keep being added to the list😅 does he vape indoors?

[Artforever in reply to Lindeer]

Thanks for reply. Yes he does vape indoors, but not the "clouds" that you see sometimes. Obviously there is some exhaled vapour in the air and I am breathing that in. It seems to me that I'm worse in the morning, ok when I get up, then half an hour after the vaping starts I cough for about an hour, then I'm OK again. So wierd.

[Lindeer in reply to Artforever]

Hmmm, that is strange, but asthma is strange too if you think about it (relatively "harmless" everyday things like weather etc making it difficult to breathe....😅 Either way, the coughing probably is a sign that you are reacting to it somehow, even if it settles down after a while.

[Junglechicken in reply to Lindeer]

Talking about strange things triggering asthma. Mine is anxiety and squash that isn’t dilute enough, to name but a few. Very weak squash I can drink no problem. Too strong and I really struggle to get air in. My mum is the same.

[MrsCMK in reply to Junglechicken]

Oh my goodness...I thought it was just my weird body that got triggered from strong squash! When it's too strong I wheeze (and I never wheeze these days, even during an attack), so I tend to stick to fizzy drinks for refreshment now.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to MrsCMK]

It’s the sulphites in the squash giving you issues most likely. I’m ok if it’s really dilute and abfab if sulphite free (same reason my lungs hate wine and wine based sauces). Hope that helps explain the phenomenon 😅

[MrsCMK in reply to EmmaF91]

Haha- that certainly does help clear that one up, thanks. That's my evening reading for the night now! I love this forum because I learn something new every day

[Junglechicken in reply to EmmaF91]

I think i’ll try sulphite free. Can you buy that in regular supermarkets?

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Junglechicken]

It’s more difficult to find than aspartame free squash (and usually quite expensive if you do find some). Sodium metabisulphite used as a preservative and is in most squashes (Robinson’s etc etc) especially cheaper stuff. I have tried it once but it wasn’t worth it (and was long enough ago I’ve forgotten what it was called 😅🙈). Currently I dilute fruit juice if I want a more squash like drink with less sugar than fruit juice as it comes. All I can suggest is going to local and checking ingredients of what takes your fancy... maybe you’ll stumble across one (very hard to find them online so starting to think they don’t do it anymore)

[Junglechicken in reply to EmmaF91]

Thanks for that! I’ll see what I can find.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Junglechicken]

Organic if you can find it. Majority are cordials what come up (other than rocks which classes itself a squash)

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to EmmaF91]

Rocks!!! Just remembered/found it on google 😂😅

[Junglechicken in reply to MrsCMK]

My asthma nurse said I have been the only person she has come across with strong squash as a trigger. I thought it was interesting that it effects my mum’s asthma the same way. My asthma is actually following the same pattern as hers did at the same age.

[MrsCMK in reply to Junglechicken]

That's super interesting that your asthma is presenting like your mum, following the same timeline.

From as far back as I can remember, squash has always made me wheezy. As a kid at friends houses, I'd always ask for a glass of milk if a drink was offered. It all makes so much sense now...thank you!

[Junglechicken in reply to MrsCMK]

Gosh yes! I remember having a really bad wheeze at a friends house when I was around 7 years old. I’d said to my mum that the juice I got tasted “funny”. She put two and two together and realised that I had squash which I never drank at home (always fresh orange) and it was too strong.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Junglechicken]

My first issue was with Ribena which I always said made me more ‘gunky’ (mucusy 😉). That was back before asthma was a real issue for me 😅

[MrsCMK in reply to EmmaF91]

I still can’t believe that only now, over 30 years later, that I’ve realised this! Fascinating.

Also learning about sulphites may help me with my asthma when looking at the bigger picture. Something, other than my many allergies, is triggering me regularly and this could be it! I kind of hope not in a weird way because my diet is already really limited but at the same time, it would solve the mystery!

[Js706 in reply to Junglechicken]

Vimto is your friend for sulphite free squash!

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Js706]

Ah. This is the one I tried and really hated 😂😂😂 the more expensive rocks is better 😉

[Js706 in reply to EmmaF91]

Aww no! To be honest I’m not massively keen on the normal vimto either but they do a couple of other flavours I like. They used to do a mango/passion fruit one I loved but they’ve stopped that now 😭

[pffft2017]

Ask him to change to nicotine-free e-liquids. I have no had a serious asthma attacks since I gave up smoking for vaping on 12mg nicotine liquids but I have noticed when I am wheezy I can tolerate nicotine-free liquids with no problem. They are just basically glycerin which should not aggravate your asthma but the nicotine might.

[SheilaC]

Make him vape outside, then come in and go straight to the shower, change his clothes and put them in the washing machine - I am not joking!