Household Asthma??

[Nichola7]

What are the chances of two people family members getting asthma at the same time?

I’ve had a cough for about 6 weeks now and my throat feels like it closes up and I can’t inhale. I’ve seen the doctor and they said it may be asthma and have given me inhalers. It seems to easing.

My 19 year old daughter is now also having problems inhaling after coughing. We both also get short of breath easily.

What are the chances of us both developing asthma at roughly the same time or do you think it could be something else?

Thanks

[MMBJI]

Hmm, interesting indeed! If you both already had asthma/allergies I would say that would make sense if you had the same trigger. My son and I tend to flare up at the same time.

But, to develop asthma for the first time simultaneously, I really don’t know.

My daughters asthma/hay fever tends to trigger this time of year, the asthma nurse suggested leaf mould as a trigger. Maybe that’s it?

Identifying triggers is constant guesswork at our house!

Hope you get the help you need and get sorted soon.

[Nichola7 in reply to MMBJI]

We do both have skin allergies but we’ve never had an issue with asthma before.

It’s difficult to find a trigger as my symptoms started about 6 weeks before my daughters.

When you both started showing signs of asthma how long did it take you to get it under control?

[Tugun]

Hi Nichola7,

It is possible that it could be asthma but the main question would be - what was the trigger? For both of you to have difficulties at the same time sounds like the trigger may have been environmental.

Check for anything industrial around your area that is new. Were there renovations going on? Is there mould in your home? A new pet? I find I'm allergic to some of the material in clothes or even shoes. With one pair of shoes, I got as far as the confines of the car and the smell was starting to affect my lungs so I had to go upstairs, change shoes and then give them away. A new perfume or deodorant or even a new clothes conditioner put in the wash. I can't use the new oxiaction washing powders/liquids. I don't even like being near anyone who uses them. Even foods or drinks can be a trigger. If I eat salami or soft drinks my lungs play up.

I would look very carefully at what might have been the trigger.

As you have both only just started, I would also try to build up your lungs and your immune system.

[Nichola7 in reply to Tugun]

Thanks for that, super helpful.

Not much has changed around us for a long time. We did start using a mild fabric conditioner about 2 months ago, we’ve haven’t used this before due to skin allergies so maybe this could be a trigger.

It just seems odd that we are both having symptoms at around the same time when neither of us have shown signs of this before.

What sort of exercise would you recommend to help build up our lungs and immune systems? We’re both getting quite short of breath at the moment.

[lakelover in reply to Nichola7]

For exercise I would suggest walking at a speed that makes you breathe heavily but that you can maintain for a while, if that is possible. When I did this I noticed that I started walking more quickly & if I slowed to my old speed I wasn't out of breath anymore. It worked for me anyway!

[Chip_y2kuk]

Asthma can run in families and has genetic factors

My little girl has inherited asthma from me or mum (possibly both) but didn't get diagnosed until she was about 18months old when it really kicked off.. she couldn't breathe and we had to get an ambulance out to her early one morning

So I would say it's possible your both allergic/ reacting to the same thing and your asthma has gone undiagnosed for some time