Any tips for asthma (exercise-induced )while hiking

[EJohnsADK]

I have whats called exercise-induced asthma. So while hiking this tends to be a problem for me. Last year while hiking Cascade and Porter...for the first hour was a real bear. It starts about 5 minutes after I started hiking, which is the usual when I exercise or walk. I don't go into a full attack but feel that I can't breath fully and need to drink water to feel like I can catch my breath. Then I go on for about another 5 minutes and it happens again. This just keeps going on and on while making me feel very tired and weak..which is what this type of asthma does too. But then after about an hours or so..I feel better, it happens less and less. And its not the elevation because this starts happening at the bottom. By the time I am at the top, I feel alright.
So does anyone have this also and if so, what do you do while you are hiking? Any tips for the summer hiking would be great

 

[adamiata]

Do you use an inhaler at all? I'm mildly asthmatic, though not as bad as I used to be, and I carry a rescue inhaler which I rarely use. Winter hiking seems to aggravate it with the cold air and all. I know I have another inhaler that's supposedly a preventative measure. It's a prescription but I don't remember the name.

My two suggestions would be to hike more often and to talk to your doctor. I've had some good success weaning myself off inhaler use by hiking more and using the puffer less.

 

[--M.]

Hey,

Used to have it real bad. For me, the cure was to bang on that inhaler right before starting out and getting into killer aerobic shape. Lots of cycling and really keeping that heartrate up.

For some reason, I grew out of it.

One weird thing, and maybe a byproduct of the affliction: I have an almost five-liter lung capacity (remember blowing into that machine?). Turns out that's pretty friggin' huge.

Best of luck, man.


.

 

[cp2000]

While ive never had any of the problems spoken of above, Efedrine tablets(not Efedra it was outlawed last year) can be bought over the counter and is supposed to help with mild breathing dissorders. Most also have an ingedient called Guaifenesin to aid in the results.

IM AM NOT A DOCTOR. CONSULT ONE BEFOR TAKING!

 

[Darwin]

I have the same problem, but I have found that if I strictly pace myself and use the inhaler "pre hike" I don't have as much difficulty. I don't know if you are new to hiking mountains or not, but when I was a rookie I had a problem pacing myself because I was too concerned with speed, which caused some breathing problems. Do you have wheezing or trouble catching your breath or both? Somtimes, some different breathing techniques will help!

 

[Hakuna Matata]

My Dr just diagnosed me with exercise enduced asthma about 1 1/2 months ago. The last 3 times I hiked mountains my lungs got real tight like I needed to take a deep breath and couldn't. It felt like a band tightening around my chest. I even unbuckled the chest strap on my pack thinking that might help. Then after the hike I would cough all the way home. I also had a lot of muscle soreness in my legs that no amount of preparing would stop. He put me on an inhaler (Advair) 2x a day. He also gave me an Albuterol rescue inhaler that I haven't had to use yet. I haven't had the chance to climb a mountain yet to test it but I have seen a difference already. I'm not out of breath as easily as before and I don't have muscle soreness like before. Better oxygen flow to the muscles. I may be testing it this week-end on Redfield.

 

[HAMTERO]

Asthma

I would go see your doctor. Maybe go to a specialist. I have had asthma all my life. The newer drugs that are available make a lot of difference. The asthma is caused by constriction of small tubes deep in your lungs. Things like cold air and pollon(big in the spring) can irritate your lungs and make it more likely to occur. Sometimes if you have asthma when you first start if you stop for a few minutes when you get going again it wil be much less. Does it happen more at certain times of the year?
The two basic types of drugs are preventive like Advir or Flovent that work to decrease inflamation in your lungs and rescue, generically Albuterol.
There are over the counter ones at the drugstore but the newer Rx ones are safer and work better.
There is plenty of info on the net.

 

[Mark]

I occasionally get mild asthma from winter hiking. A puff from an Albuterol inhaler always takes care of it. One warning: if you are hiking in cold weather, keep your inhaler warm. Carry it in a pocket inside your jacket. When very cold, the propellant in the inhaler doesn't work very well and you may not get a correct dose.

See your doc. He or she will be able to help.

 

[Peakbagr]

Both of my kids had excercised induced asthma.
If in the backcountry, I'd suggest you bring a backup, just in case.
Also, watch expiration dates on them.
And finally, we aware of the temps that they are exposed to. If you leave you pack in the car on a sunny day, they will be exposed to very high temps.
The same applies in the cold. Your asthma attack that might be brought on by cold air tempertures could be made worse by the ice-cold contents of your inhaler. Good idea to keep the inhaler inside your shirt or jacket in the winter.
Good luck.

Peakbagr

 

[Pucknuts61]

I'm with M and Adamiata in that I've been growing out of it. The Albuterol is a great in case of an emergency, but it sounds to me like a time released tablet taken an hour or so before you hit the trail might help. The was one called Marax a while back (not sure if it's still available).
Please consult your doctor to see if some type of medication other than the inhaler might be available, but keep the inhaler in your pack (or chest pocket in winter) just in case.
Good luck,
Bill

 

[WhiteMTHike]

At one time I had a mild case of (seasonal) asthma. I went to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor. I took the breathing test; blowing into that tube. He ended up prescribing an inhaler. Normally I would take a puff on it before working out at the gym or hiking on a trail then another puff after finishing. I think I used the inhaler (w/ a few refills) for about 6 months to a year. This was about 4 years ago and I haven't had a problem since.

There are different levels of asthma. I'd recommend seeing either an ENT or a Pulmonary M.D. I don't recall what the medicine in the inhaler was but it worked extremely well. Mention a prescription inhaler to the doctor, it will surely help you. Best wishes with this.

 

[DSettahr]

Albuterol Inhalers work wonders. They are very easy to get, just talk to your doctor.

I find that my inhaler works best if I wait until the onset of symptoms before using it- after I've already started jogging or hiking. If I use it after I've gotten my heart going, more of the inhalant will be absorbed into the blood stream more quickly, and it will be a lot more effective than if you use it while at rest before you start exerting yourself. The second wind I get from using the inhaler when I start to have trouble breathing is amazing.

 

[SteveHiker]

I have the exact same problem that you have. I've found that there isn't anything I can do about it, and just have to deal with it for the first few trips of the year. Very hot and humid days make it worse. Usually after four or five trips, it doesn't bother as much, probably a function of being in better shape. I haven't used an inhaler since 8th grade (20 years ). It always seemed to make me feel worse instead of better.

The best advice other than getting in better shape, is to look for trails that have a nearly flat or at least gentle beginning. You'll get warmed up and your lungs will better be able to handle the steeper parts. The past few weeks I have hiked Lonesome Lake trail and Gale River Trail and had no problems like this. Lonesome Lake is pretty easy and gale River is flat for a couple miles before it gets steep. I have also hiked Webster Cliff and Old Speck which have almost no warmup and are quite relentless for a while at the beginning. I was sucking wind bad on those two.