winter excercise: hacking up nasty stuff after?

[Remix]

I am resurrecting this old thread because this has just started happening to me, too-- I have gone and seen the doctor and thought people might be interested in what the doctor did.

Basically I do seem to get some mucus build up in the upper lungs. While hiking, the deep breaths keep the irritation down.

After long hikes and cat-claws in the Mojave Desert in December (37-74 deg F, dry, 7500 ft) and recently in the Whites (0-20 deg F, cold). I felt congested for up to 1-2 days , especially when I lay down at night. I don't have trouble breathing after the hike, but it's getting to the irritating-aggravating-cant-cough-it-out-level, like a light bronchitis.

Anyhow he gave me a spirometer test which showed above average (>100%) results for someone with my age, height, weight. The reading that involved resistance to air flow was the lowest.

He asked if I had heart burn during exercise, presumably because acid reflux vapors are linked to asthma.

So then he gave me a sample inhaler of albuterol. He said if that does not help, then he would refer me to a specialist to see if a long-acting preventive pill is justified.

Reducing exercise never came up.

YMMV.

 

[peakbagger]

Funny, I get it on and off after winter hiking it shows up as a wheeze. I notice it after hiking and I expect that its the reason I don't sleep very well the night after a long hike. I did see a specialist awhile back and she noticed some structural issues that could impact breathing. She gave me a script for Nasonex and it does seem to work to knock down short term inflammation and I breathe better the night after.

I and others also think there is some correlation with taking Aleve vs Advil.

 

[Gremlin]

I have asthma and needed help running and training in the winter . 3M make a face mask that warms and humidifies one's breathe. You can order it at your pharmacy.

 

[BISCUT]

I had what was always called "children's" asthma when I was really young. My family took me to Children's Hospital in Boston (grandfather was friends with DR). I was never given any pharma but a host of breathing exercises and the like. I had a couple of episodes (attacks) between 2 and 5. Moving forward a few decades to winter in the White's. I never experienced any breathing issue, some mucus but probably more related to fighting off a cold or virus. BUT when I would get int he car to drive home and a "normal" temp (I keep my vehicle interior about 65F) I would experience labored breathing as if I wasn't getting enough air. I never went to a Dr but had a chance to talk to a proff medicine at a function. I brought it up and, without any testing, indicated it actually is a form of "cold weather" asthma and it can present in a person with no past history of asthma. He further said he's familiar with it, because it happened to him on a Moose hunt in ME.

 

[Snowflea]

I have noticed a connection between being dehydrated and excessively needing to clear my throat of a "phlegmi-ness" the day after a hike/ski, especially lately as I've been doing some long days and not drinking enough (bad, bad!).

So a possible solution may be as simple as trying to stay better hydrated. My 2 cents.