Asthma in the morning

Every morning when I get up I have a horrible ache in my chest and feels like there is a elephant sitting on my chest, what is this

anyone else get it?

[yaf_user681_23350]

Yep same here, have no idea why but I'd like to know?

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Diurnal Variation is the difference between the width of the airways in the morning and evening on one day measured about 12 hours apart. The airways are narrower at different times over 24 hours even in people who do not have asthma. Research has shown them to be widest at 4pm and narrowest at 4am. In people with asthma, this difference is exaggerated. Instead of varying by about 10%, they vary by 20% or more. This is a sign that asthma is present and unstable: that is, the airways are twitchy and irritable.

The figures you should use to calculate your diurnal variation are the readings you acheive on the day, and not predictions or personal bests.

Morning Dip is not uncommon for peak flow readings in the morning to be markedly lower than the evening in people with asthma. This is often referred to as the morning dip. The exact reason why this happen is unknown. There are many ideas as to why it may occur, including acid leaking from the gullet at night, posture during sleep, low levels of body steroids at night and other theories, but it still remains a mystery! A pronounced morning dip i.e. in your yellow zone or less, indicates poor or worsening asthma control. If you have a morning dip but your evening peak flow remains high, then it follows that your diurnal variation will go up.

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Ah, that's a very interesting and thorough answer, Woody-som. My GPs explanation of morning and night dips a peak flow might have was rather less complex.

She just said in the morning I've had longer than I go in the day between corticosteroid puffs, so the airway tissue might be slightly inflamed and at night I could be worse because I go out and expose myself to a load of triggers that build up through the day. It seemed to make sense and stopped me from worrying too much about my uniform am/pm variation.