Asthma and sport

[Fraggle1234]

Hi, hope everyone is keeping well.

At the start of this year, my daughter had several flare ups and after several appointments and inhalers to try she is now using Aloflute - which is working for her. Most of the time she does not need her Ventolin but recently she has had to start taking it when she does sport. She is a competitive gymnast and trains 4 times a week (and has done for years). Some sessions she is fine but others she has to sit out. Recently she has been saying that she gets a pain under her ribs after most sessions and on Wed she had to take her Ventolin (stopped half way through a routine) - the tight chest feeling and breathless was eased with the Ventolin but the pain remained under her ribs for several hours.

I can't seem to find information on pain under ribs - most articles I have read refer to the tightening feeling. I have been reading about EIA (exercise induced asthma) and wonder if she has this too. We are trying to work out triggers as to why sometimes she can train and others she can't - I am thinking maybe too hot or too cold of a gym environment could be factors.

I was wondering if anybody else experiences this type of pain and if anyone has any tips to help her manage her asthma whilst training / competing.

Thank you in advance.

[peege]

As a child I led the field in sprinting only to have that vice-like chest feeling halfway & come in last. Same as an adult climbing hills and swimming. After climbing French gorges in France in my early 50s I was wheezing every night. Once dx with asthma & prescribed a preventer and ventolin for as & when needed I began to take a puff of ventolin before swimming lengths, walking up hill - a complete game changer.

My son fro age 3 also used ventolin before exercise & play dates (other mums gave me funny looks when I asked them to distract him from running when he started coughing 🙄).

My 13 yo granddaughter also takes ventolin before sports and matches . At junior school she was supposed to request her ventolin (locked in the classroom cupboard), teachers were rarely there when she needed a puff so I taught her to be surreptitious in keeping one hidden in her sports kit bag & quietly use it when needed.

Anyway, try asking her medics if your daughter can use ventolin before exertion.

Do her coaches teach her breathing techniques? Deep Diaphragm Breathing helps when I'm caught out or anxious.

I believe it gets more tricky using Ventolin in very highly competitive sports where drug tests take place. Lots of top athletes have asthma though so good luck to her

[runcyclexcski]

Maybe Aloflute no longer works as well as it should, so that could be either increased or changed by the consultant. If that does not help, it's the usual path -- biologicsc and/or allergy shots. Gyms can be dusty (gym mats are pretty bad), and the season may also affect it (pollen etc).

[strongmouse in reply to runcyclexcski]

Yes, allergy to dust occurred to me too. I tried yoga with a new group in a church hall and had to stop as the dust brought on an asthma attack. I do get pain and an odd sensation under the ribs and breast bone which I think is allergy related but never had medical confirmation. Dust can be more problematic if it is disturbed, so does your daughter Fraggle1234 get it perhaps when the hall has been cleaned and the dust is in the air? Worth considering. Or on hot days when window open and pollen is high?

It does take time to work our triggers. Maybe keep a diary to see if there are any patterns to it.

[Patk1]

It's prob worth using salbutamol beforehand,see if it helps.does she have allergies eg dust,hayfever? May be worth seeing if an over the counter antihistamine helps or speak to Dr x

[Homely2 Administrator]

Ring asthma UK on 0300 2225800, they are brilliant.

I had nasty asthma from doing yoga, the cause was a dusty mat. So just wonder if the variation in symptoms is caused by the level of dust in the gym varying.

If doing exercise the key for me is having my asthma under control before I start, so have a chat with the asthma medic about taking an inhaler dose pre exercise. The other key is knowing my asthma breathing exercises, so I can do them, when I start to tighten up.

[runcyclexcski in reply to Homely2]

>>> was a dusty mat

Homely, did you solve this? I guess one can use a closed-cell mat, or encase it in a non-permeable fabric (I use heat-sealable thermal polyurethane), or even polethylene. Not as cuddly and soft, but still beats the asthma for me. Polyurethane is OK for exercising, but I would not sleep with my face on it (still has a slight smell). Polyethylene is totally OK, except being sticky and noisy.

[lakelover]

I feel a bit stupid mentioning this, but will do anyway. I get pain round the ribs, but although I have asthma, mine is caused by osteoarthritis. Has your daughter had an injury that could cause arthritis? I'm ancient, had a fall & broke my shoulder, but I understand it can develop in young people who have had an injury.

[Fraggle1234]

Thank you all for your replies xx

[Poobah]

I'm wondering if there's a factor of chalk dust in the gym that may have become an irritant for your daughter. I think talc is sometimes used too, for grip. But I would consider having a chat with the Asthma UK helpline and they will advise on how to proceed regarding the use of a reliever or if a change in meds or meds regime could help. Exercise is such a good thing and it would be great to find a work around for your daughter so she can continue to enjoy her sport without discomfort.

[DannyQ]

Hi, I hope your daughter gets her under control again. Now regarding the pain under her ribs I remember before I was diagnosed with asthma I always used to get it playing football, I put the pain in my ribs as being a stitch but as soon being diagnosed and having control of my asthma the pain disappeared and has never been back.So I would maybe suggest you book an appointment with your asthma nurse and go over everything she's been expirenceing as they might reassess her.

I hopecthis helps

[watergazer]

A medic is the best person to speak too. If she doesn’t already then maybe use her reliever before gym sessions to open the airways also the chalk they use could be affecting her xx

[Helloeveryone_]

I had pain under my ribs and after a few tests my doc said it was costochondroitis which is inflammation of the muscle between the ribs. Mine started after quite a lot of coughing and took a while to go and still flares up occasionally. If it’s a new symptom I would get it checked out at the doctors.