Asthma and chest infections
 

Hi guys, I assume others on here suffer from asthma. For those that do, do you find when you get a cold/cough it goes straight to your chest and you end up with a chest infection? I've been quite good as this is the first in about 18 months but this time there's not stuffy head or cold like symptoms, I literally got a cough yesterday, went to docs this AM and it's gone straight into a chest infection :(

Any home remedies or tricks to make it pass? I'm on anti biotics.

SN massive :) ?

Andy

Honey Lemon Ginger (chopped not powder) Turmeric Garlic (chopped not powdered) and Cumin in hot water.

Tastes vile but does speed up the recovery process, my wife is asthmatic and suffers the same issues you describe, always goes to her chest and she swears by her concoction, although my suggestions of alternative therapies have been rejected ;)

I've had it a couple of times when I've had a cold and it seemed to do the job.

I'd strongly suggest letting it cool down and then necking it in one and you have to eat the garlic and ginger !

Thanks, I'll try that when her indoors comes home. She hides everything in cupboards you see and can be nursey today :D

Sorry, Andy, but: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma-diet/AN01998

I'm screwed. :lol1:

I am lucky enough not to have that problem COB, but if you do I reckon it is important to get it sorted quickly. That sort of thing can turn nasty.

Les

TCP sore throat lozengers! only 99p from Home Bargain's ;)
As soon as i think im getting an infection i bang in a few of these a day and it doesnt materialize :) been doing this now for about 2 years now :)

Yup :(

Every time I get a cold I ended up going straight to the chest and as breathless as a wheezing old fart with a 200 a day smoking habit. Inhalers did diddly squat to help.

Now, I don't recommend you try this, but I did something very naughty. Realising the inhalers weren't working when I needed them most and GP being as useless as ever (i.e never referring me and fobbing me off from having any proper full allergy testing despite a number of requests in both child and adulthood), I stopped taking them.

Now knowing I haven't had any real attack since my early teens and having an attack without inhalers (left them at home), I know half the issue is not panicking, controlled breathing and getting out of the environment that is the causing irritation ASAP. So when I was better, I just thought f**k it and stopped taking them - just to see what happens. :nono:

Guess what....because they no longer masked and prevented my immune system from responding, I found out some of the things I was allergic too (basically eggs, some sort of tree pollen and filthy houses, amongst other things)! Not only that, I stopped getting colds!!! I used to get them 4-5 times a year. Now I get it once a year at worst, and when I do its not the 2weeks of sneezing, runny nose, blocked sinuses, phlegm-fest followed by another two weeks of coughing and breathless wheezing. Now it one week for the head cold and then one week of a coughing and wheezing afterwards and not as bad as before.

To me it suggest that throughout the majority of my life taking various inhalers (Intal, Bricanyl, Pulmicort, Seretide, Ventolin etc) was depressing my immune system making me more prone and lengthening the suffering of the common cold and cough. To me I've come to the conclusion that the benefit they gave wasn't worthwhile for the suffering they seemed to cause...I found I was better off avoiding the asthma triggers instead of relying on the inhalers all the time. Of course the GP doesn't approve, but his concern is more focused on getting me out out the door so he can fob off his next patient.

Now of course, I don't condone this to anyone....but I think it is worth mentioning and is food for thought. Its your body so you work out what's right for it, as how yours reacts and the dependancy on the drugs maybe higher.

Don't have the problem myself but a guy I used to work with did, and he did as you describe above. Knew him for 5 or 6 years and he never had to use an inhaler in that time. Mind over matter. Or, in this case, 'mind over what the doctors tell you' ..... :thumb:

Dave

I have asthma. During the winter I find I struggle to breath in certain conditions. I rarely get chest infections though. In fact I can't remember the last time I had one.