Asthma triggers

[pink123floyd]

Airesols ,perfume,deoderants, pollen even plugins for nice smelling homes perfume candles anything with strong smell, shoping can become a nighmare

[janedivney]

I totally agree. I avoid shops now (hate shopping anyway!) because there are so many triggering smells around. The absolute worst for me at this time of year is smoke, especially woodsmoke from open fires & burners. It immediately paralyses my breathing, really scary.

What with that and the similar effect of cold air, I hardly go out at all from Nov to March! For fresh air we take flasks of coffee or soup, drive to a cliff top and read in the car, well wrapped up & with the windows open slightly. Like the OAPs we are! Small pleasures 😊

[peege in reply to janedivney]

Sounds a perfect outing to me 🤗 and perhaps a nice slice of cake for afters ××

[janedivney in reply to peege]

There are a few coffee vans dotted around the National Park now so we know where to go for homemade cakes 😋

[pink123floyd in reply to janedivney]

Me too .just need to find the coffee vans not noticed any on my last trips out with my daughter.xx

[runcyclexcski in reply to janedivney]

If the warm (dry) air in the car is OK, can you wear a scarf over your mouth outdoors? They also make air-warming masks, but I think they are as good as a scarf.

[janedivney in reply to runcyclexcski]

I wear a microfibre buff to avoid inhaling any fabric particles, but it doesn’t warm the air enough when it’s cold. So if the temp is less than about 8° I stay indoors.

I’ve not heard of air-warming masks? Also, could you tell me what respirator you’re referring to in your reply below to Singinglouder? Tia 😊

[runcyclexcski in reply to janedivney]

I wear a buff, too -- over my N94 mask. Filtration + warmth/cold wind shielding.

[janedivney in reply to runcyclexcski]

Ooh I just edited my question…

[runcyclexcski in reply to janedivney]

It's an actual respirator that takes carbon A2 cartridtes. This one is by 3M. I like it, b.c. one can lower it down quickly of one needs to eat/drink/speak.

3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/v000154...

Here is one of several heat/humidity recovery masks. It's a bit ridiculous by only working through the mouth and not the nose. When I tried it while skiing, I did notice that the air felt warmer. I am trying to improve on this design.

lungplus.ch/

[Homely2 Administrator]

Quite agree. My GP surgery, now has an open plan premises with their in-house pharmacy, which sells perfume. So going to the GP surgery is a nightmare for me.

[Emaych61 in reply to Homely2]

If they are selling perfume on premises designed for medical purposes you might have good cause to make a formal complaint. If premises can request people do not eat oranges etc because of someone who is known to have an allergic reaction surely you have a case.

[Gummybearx]

I also find cleaning products for round the house and even washing clothes, I can't use bleach. So I use smol for clothes and the house less smelly and more environmentally friendly items. What a nightmare for us

[Tracy1960]

I find some perfumes are a trigger but Mr Muscle oven clean is a definite no for me. Also I have to avoid the large department stores where someone tries to spray you with a perfume.

[DannyQ]

Yeah , with everything you've mention that's me and so much more lol But we keep putting one foot in front of the other and always with a smile

[Bigoil]

You know you have got problems when the nurses on the respiratory ward are wearing perfume as well !!!! Luckily I complained and now always get the isolation room.

[MoyB]

It all applies to me too!

Many years before I was diagnosed with asthma, my teenage daughter discovered 'Superdrug hair spray' which she used with gay abandon on her large 80s hair do. It got me every time. Also, I discovered that Sure spray deodorant would also make my chest tight. At that time, asthma was not even on my radar.

Now, it's all the things you mention, especially candles. I went to a lunch in a local restaurant last winter and they had large 'church' candles on every table. I had a bad asthma attack which finally responded to the high number of Ventolin doses I used just before 999 was going to be called! Candles were extinguished and windows opened after which I was fine again. Thankfully, a person from our group happened to be a retired respiratory nurse and she stayed with me, giving me calm reassurance but it was still very frightening.

The meals were then served and were b***** awful! The lady next to me had a small jug of gravy served with her meal but it was solid in the jug and wouldn't pour out! There were lots of other things wrong, not to mention that we waited an hour to be fed in the first place (which actually suited me as by then I was over the asthma attack) and all the orders got mixed up.

It was a real day to remember!

xx Moy

[Scrofulous]

Same here. On a recent visit to a large Boots store, I had to get in and out ASAP due to the overwhelming smell of perfumes pervading the whole store. I don't use fab con with scent. I use an old fashioned perfume that doesn't set me off. I shop online to avoid as many virulent folks as possible at this time of year. My mask will be handy when I do enter shops.

[GintyFerguson]

Agreed! Wood burning stoves! I'm surrounded by them and nothing I can do .

[runcyclexcski in reply to GintyFerguson]

>>>I'm surrounded by them and nothing I can do .

Forced ventilation with a carbon bed. Works great for me (also for pot and cigarette smell from neighbors).

[MMBJI]

Yes- all of those things plus animal dander. Dogs are the bain of my life - they are everywhere !!

Being outdoors was my go to for socialising but there are increasing owners with less control over their animals . Grrrr.

Next door are firing up their wood burner…..

[runcyclexcski in reply to MMBJI]

>>>Next door are firing up their wood burner…..

Let me guess -- they have perfectly good district gas, right?

[MMBJI in reply to runcyclexcski]

Indeedy 🙄

[Singinglouder]

The pot pourri section in garden centres! I do the same as when crossing the road behind a vehicle with its engine running: take a deep breath where the air’s still fairly clear, then walk as fast as I can while holding my breath 😊. Don’t know how much it helps, but at least I feel I’m doing something…

[runcyclexcski in reply to Singinglouder]

>>>The pot pourri section in garden centres!

And the smell of pot in the streets. I have nothing against legalization, b.c. for many people it's important, but I now have to carry a respirator everywhere.

[Singinglouder in reply to runcyclexcski]

Yup! Not only are the smoke and smell triggers, I’m actually allergic to cannabis, so really hoping that if it’s legalised here, it’ll be for private consumption only…

[Cobham]

All of the above... and filling car with petrol, carefully checking for wind direction and breatholding.

[runcyclexcski in reply to Cobham]

I wear a full respirator when filling my car. I can't hold my breath that long, and also there can be situations which last more than 3-5 min and which are unpredictable.

[Clematisa1]

All the adverts on TV should come with a health warning in my opinion. ❤️

[Sansovino1926]

When I first started getting asthma symptoms about 8 years ago (aged 72 now), I was triggered by tree pollen, onions being fried, cold air such as a winter's day or a freezer door opening), wet air (shower, raining, etc), fog, most perfumes, colognes, body spray, etc, barbecues, bonfires. I especially got triggered by those awful bio washing tablets like Ariel and clothes that had been washed in them. The local chip shop, a bread bakery in the next street. Oddly enough not tobacco! I started using Fostair and things got better with most of the triggers that I have mentioned, then I gave up smoking over a year ago, and things massively improved and now it's mostly pollen, rain, and fog. I have been on Spiriva Respimat for 3 months and that has helped a lot.

[runcyclexcski]

Sounds familiar. Scent-free shampoo, laundry detergent and soap all the way,

Re perfumes: the pulmonology department in UCSF (California) has a big sign asking people not to wear perfume.

I always have a respirator and a carbon-coated N95 mask on me for smells etc. Even when my asthma is well controlled I cannot handle odors or smoke. Duty free in airports, libraries, HomeDepot/B&Q are all bad news, too.

[Jandm]

I don’t visit the forum as frequently as I used to (WiFi issues) but we all seem to be in the same very large boat. Avoidance of everything is the only hope to stay safe and well and health is always a top priority 😊

[Beth_19]

I am the same but like others there is also cleaning products / chemicals. I can just about cope with demostos and plain flash as long as the area is ventilated and I take breaks but not other products and definitely nothing perfumed. Mine also include Detergents, shampoos, conditioners, body washes (fortunately I have found fragrance free which I like), animals, air quality and temp.

People says I can’t react to all those things but my lungs say differently. I avoid some friends houses because I can’t breathe when there and definitely have to be careful in shops and at work. Fortunately I have found a mask which is helping but it’s obviously not perfect.