Curious about mucus.
When asthma starts to be a problem I get here typical itchy neck but I also got what I thought is excess saliva. But asthma causes mucus and google says it also does that in the mouth. My question is how can I tell the different between saliva and mucus ?
Good morning,
Thanks for sharing your experience! It can be tricky to distinguish between saliva and mucus sometimes, especially when asthma is involved. Generally, mucus is thicker and stickier, and it might feel like it's coming from your throat or airways rather than just your mouth. It can also have a different taste or smell, sometimes more unpleasant or salty. On the other hand, saliva is typically thinner and more neutral in taste. If you're noticing this excess fluid more often with your asthma, it could be related to the mucus your body is producing in response to inflammation in the airways. If you're unsure or it becomes a frequent issue, it might help to talk to your doctor for a clearer answer on what's going on. Hope this helps! John. community moderator. thank you. I didn't realise mucus was released in the mouth for some people. I do believe it is saliva for me as I also have pots which asthma triggers. Also, yesterday it occurred to me that I don't always know when I need to eat. I don't feel hungry and so my stomach prepared acid for digestion and my mouth gets saliva also ready for digestion. The gas was making me burp bringing up acid making asthma worse. Now I eat the second I get gassy. Ugh. So many things going on. 
It's tough when your body doesn't let you know when it's time to eat, right? And it makes eating less enjoyable, too. I wonder if it might help you to try having small meals or snacks throughout the day, at regular intervals. This way, you're not feeling burdened by a big plate of food, but you also have something in your stomach so things don't get so acidic and cause reflux.
Just curious, were you ever diagnosed with GERD? It's pretty common in people with asthma. Here's an article about it that explains the connection:
https://asthma.net/triggers/heartburn-gerd-acid-reflux
Hope you can find a way to feel a bit more comfortable. -Melissa, team member
I just saw my doctor today. She suggested silent reflux as that would explain why I don't notice anything. My breathing has never been right my whole life. So quick breaths out. I can breathe in deep but can't take my time breathing out. But then sometimes I have laboured breathing in and out. Yes I graze throughout the day.
Thanks for taking the time to follow up after your appointment. How do you feel about a possible diagnosis of silent reflux? Did you and your doctor come up with a plan for tackling your reflux? I'm linking an article from our website that discusses the links between asthma and GERD. https://asthma.net/living/subgroups-gerd Additionally, if you search 'reflux' in our search engine, you will find many other articles that are specific to this topic. All the best, Lauren (Team member)
She gave me meds and they've helped so yes it's silent reflux. I did some more googling and gastroparisus and EDS both cause gas build up. I'm trying so hard to figure out the best diet so I'm not solely relying on drugs. I pretty much can eat chicken with snow peas, egg yolks, nitrate free bacon, broccoli and carrot. But I can't drink water. It has the worst reaction tanks to gastroparisus so I'm left with hot chocolate and guava juice. Not ideal.
Hmmm. I don't want to burden you with the standard "have you tried...," but just in case you haven't thought of them, there's coconut water, skim milk, herbal teas or broth. Sorry you're going through this. -Melissa, team member coconut is high in FODMAPs so that actually triggers asthma. A2 milk is neat for me given I have issues with casein and for some reason drinking hot water dries my throat out terribly. Keep in mind tea is only flavoured water too. So it will still sit in my stomach for hours making me quite sick and it's painful. Thanks gastroparisus..... Will ask my support worker to make some broth. I've never made it successfully. thanks.
I get prescribed this.
Acetylcysteine is used in the treatment of airway diseases such as bronchitis (inflammation of the mucous membranes in the airways), emphysema, mucoviscidosis (cystic fibrosis) and bronchiectasis (chronic widening of an airway passage). NACSYS 600 mg Effervescent tablets are only indicated for adults. Great for breaking up Mucus.Oh wow, thanks for sharing what has been working for you. Did it take you and your healthcare team a bit to figure out a combination of medications that work well for you? All the best, Lauren (Team member)
