Just thought it was about time to talk to someone about my asthma.basically im 23 yrs old i smoke heavily and drink alot at the weekends. i have an office job so am not active and dont do any sport or fitness in my spare time as i love just being with friends. im a little worried about the fact that i really dont care about myself enough. i go through about one blue inhaler a week and most of the time i have a smoke at the same time as using the reliever, i never go to my checkups and if i ever do i seem to lie about my smoking and exercise, i dont know why maybe its because im a bit embarrased and now its got too far. i cant run down the road without nearly passing out from where my lungs are so weak. my diet stinks too, i eat junk food 247, im not fat or anything and to be honest noone can really tell that im like this as i am all good on the outside. i know im my own worst enemy and smoking is a major part of my health but i just cant seem to get into a different routine or give up the fags, sad to say but i really enjoy my life but something inside is saying it aint going to last long the way im going.
Has anyone ever been in the same boat or have any advice?
It sounds as though things have got to the point now where you know something has got to give, and you seem to have a pretty good idea of where you're ""going wrong"". A guy of your age certainly shouldn't be struggling to run down the road, but the good news os that most of this stuff can be reversed - but where to start?
First thing, I would say, is go and see your friendly neighbourhood GP or asthma nurse. And BE HONEST. By telling fibs to your health pros, the only person you're really lying to is yourself. Health professionals can't help you or point you in the right direction unless we know where you're coming from and what you're struggling with. So go to them and ""bare your soul"" - maybe even print out this post and take it with you! Ask for help but don't expect to change everything all at once - habit reversal takes time, and you won't manage to maintain any changes if you try to do it all at the same time.
Secondly, going through one blue inhaler per week is certainly a sign that your asthma could be controlled a lot better than it is. I don't know if you're on any preventative (steroid) inhalers, but if you are, I'm afraid the smoking is very good at completely negating any beneficial effect from these inhalers. Have a chat specifically with the nurse/doctor about your asthma control and what you can do to get things under control whilst you try to improve your lifestyle.
Good luck with it all - it's not easy to straighten things out, but it can be done.
CathBear
hi
Hi i started with asthma a few months ago and i know wot u mean about smoking. I try to give it up a yr ago and failed, but funny enough the smoking does not seem to affect me its things like rain pollen chemicals and hot and cold. U need to see a asthma nurse and get on a program. Iam controlled now and only use my blue inhaler occasionally.
Iam on seretide once in the morning and at night, i am going to try and cut my smoking down but its hard cos it makes me more stressed and thats not good for asthma either.
Hope u get it sorted and look after urself.
jeanette
Hey ... i so know how you feel, i started smoking when i was 13, and gave up 7 months ago (I'm now 29) I have had asthma all my life and so was stupid to have started in the first place. My thing was to have a squirt and then a cig. Which when i look back now, was disgraceful, i used to make a joke out of it that i was making room in the lungs for the smoke... i also used to try and claim that smoking didn't affect my asthma.
Let me tell you this though, i used to get through a Ventolin every week or two ... but now that i don't smoke, i am still using the same one that i opened when i quit ... i barely even know i have asthma now, apart from when it's set off my some other allergy.
There's only one thing you need to consider ... you ARE killing yourself, and dying from an asthma attack or cancer will not be a nice way to go.
An old git responds
Hi Matt
Apologies in advance if this comes across as pompous old git, but you did ask, so...
Asthma is a funny old condition. People find it amusing for some reason. And we sufferers are sometimes guilty ourselves of not taking it seriously. It can be quite mild or life-threatening. Then there is the medical profession. Yes, of course some are great. But some aren't.
Put these together and it's easy to see why many thousands of asthmatics aren't well controlled. You're one of them.
My first thought is that you must speak to your doctor. If you're going through that number of salbutamol inhalers, something is wrong somewhere. Your doctor really should not be prescribing that number of inhalers. Should you also be using other medicines?
Hi Matt,
I'm 29 and started smoking at the age of 19. I smoked 20 a day but always kept my smoking secret from my family. Despite being diagnosed as asthmatic at 13, my asthma never bothered me and I wasn't on any inhalers or other medication. In 2006 I had finished a degree in health studies and was all geared up for the graduation and there was a huge night-out planned. Two days before I was struggling to breath and thought that I had a bad cold. I ended up hospitalised for 7 days with a *severe* asthma attack. It frightenend the life out of me as I had no idea how critical the situation was and how ill I was. I stopped smoking there and then . . . . . . . . for 3 weeks.
Valentine's Day this year, I was hospitalised again for a week after another severe attack. I stopped smoking that day and it has been so difficult, but I haven't smoked since. I know that if I have even one sneaky puff I will be hooked again. I don't want to die young. My asthma nurse told me after all the tests that I have the lungs of a 40 year old. How scary considering that I'm not even 30 yet!!
My asthma is uncontrollable at the moment and I am on inhalers and tablets, but I know that finally quitting the fags has made a huge difference to my over all health. I work in social care and most of my colleagues and clients smoke but now I'm open in the fact that I have asthma and will remind people of my triggers as I really don't want anymore hospital visits. Nowadays, I try and eat a little healthier and I've taken up cycling and running.
My advice to you, would be to speak to your GP or asthma nurse and get all the info and support available to manage your asthma and quit smoking. Try reading Paul McKenna's book as some of the exercises are fab for those wanting to break habits associated with smoking.
Asthma is a big deal but it can be managed.
Take good care.
Natalie
Smoking is injurious to health everyone know it and not possible suddenly stop smoking. Smoking to affect lungs and possible to asthma. forum.internationaldrugmart... hp?f=9&t=26 see antiasthmatic drugs.
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