Asthma Itch

Hi - thanks for posting and hello Debbie! It's tough losing a great clinician/physician. Oftentimes you mourn that person and find it hard to move on to the new or next doctor. There's always one who stands out, and no other comes close to being as kind, considerate, or as knowledgeable about our health. I've had a few in my past that have stood out and I miss their compassion and kindness.


Skin itching is a symptom many in our community deal with. This article has more info about it. https://asthma.net/living/itch-before-attack-causes Asthma definitely affects all of us differently but sometimes sharing this info with the community you find others who are going through the same thing. Reading your comment took me back to the itching episodes I had when younger - it was so annoying and sometimes scary as a child having an episode.


I too wish as I got older I "outgrew" my asthma, but alas, I still deal and cope with symptoms. Hoping your asthma has settled a bit and your Spring season is going well. With best regards - Rebecca (community moderator)

Hi , and thanks for your post! I see my good colleague, , has already replied to your comment and I support what she has shared with you.
I also have something to contribute. Both you and Rebecca have spoken about 'outgrowing' one's asthma. I remember when I was training to be respiratory therapist, a fairly well known chief of pulmonary medicine (the late John A. Crocco, MD), taught us the 'hallmark of asthma' is hypersensitivity of the airways. Once a person had that, it was always present. It could diminish and even seem like it no longer had an effect (as when one seemed to 'outgrow' it), but it stayed with the person through life. Sometimes it never returned but often times it would recur in later years. That analysis always stayed with me. Invariably, when I interviewed patients while providing their care, adults often times remembered episodes from their early years. I rarely, if ever, think in terms of 'outgrowing' asthma, largely because of the knowledge Dr. Crocco instilled in me.
I'm hopeful this provides some additional insight for our community readers.
All the best,
Leon (site moderator asthma.net)

And as you probably know, you are certainly not alone in this community experiencing the asthma itch. I wrote this article (https://asthma.net/living/my-experience-with-asthma-itch)just a few months ago about my experience with the asthma itch. I used to get it mainly on my neck and chin -- although, now that you mention it, my head would also itch. I like your theory as to why it happens. Mine usually occurred when I was exposed to high doses of my allergens, such as when I go through old boxes of stuff in my basement. And, like you, it usually acted as a warning that I best stop what I am doing and get away -- when I was younger (like, even into my 30s) I would not heed the warning and would go into a full blown asthma attack. But, now that I am older and much wiser (lol) I am well aware of this warning and behave myself. And this can help keep my lungs happy. I hear you about the doctor It is so nice when we find a doctor that we like. I recently started seeing an ENT and he, I think, works so great for me because he also has asthma and he understands. One more note, my doctors would tell me all the time when I was a kid that I would outgrow it. Thankfully I never believed them, which made it easier to accept when it never did go away. However, thanks to all the wonderful new medicines out today, I find that it is much easier to maintain good control of this disease that we share. I hope you are doing well. John. asthma.net community moderator.