Community Views: My Most Annoying Asthma Symptom
There is no easy part of living with asthma. For many people, asthma is something they deal with every day. It shows up in a handful of ways, with a variety of symptoms.
To find out more about how the community is coping with their asthma, we reached out to followers of our Facebook page. There, we asked people to fill in the blank: “My most annoying asthma symptom is _______________.”
The question clearly resonated with community members, given that we saw responses from nearly 700 people with asthma. Here is a look at what was shared.
Coughing
The most common answer from the community was coughing. Many shared that coughing often happens at bad times and is an awkward thing to handle. The coughing can also trigger other symptoms, which can be very stressful for many community members.
“Coughing fits.”
“Coughing, and the looks I get during the COVID outbreak. It is just asthma, nothing else!”
“Coughing when I am triggered in public.”
Dealing with phlegm
For anyone with asthma, the buildup of mucus or phlegm can be constant. When something irritates the lungs, the body responds by producing sticky mucus. Drinking warm fluids like tea or spending time in a shower or steam room can help with this annoying problem.
“I am a runner, and it is so annoying coughing up phlegm when I am running.”
“Constant mucus in my throat and nose while going through life feels like there is a weighted blanket on my chest.”
“I find my throat gets gunked up. I am constantly swallowing to try and get rid of it. Also, the constant clearing of my throat is annoying.”
Wheezing
Another symptom that many complained about is wheezing. This is caused when asthma triggers tighten, block, or irritate the airways. It can sound like whistling and is physically uncomfortable. It can also be stressful as well, depending on how severe it is.
“I wheeze from my throat.”
“The wheezing.”
Handling the anxiety
For many people, one of the hardest parts of asthma is that stress and anxiety can be triggers and make all their symptoms worse. Plus, when someone is having an asthma attack or experiencing asthma symptoms, they often feel even more stressed or anxious, which makes the situation worse. Thus, there is a complicated relationship between asthma and stress.
While deep breathing is one of the most common ways to reduce anxiety, this method is not always possible for people with asthma. An alternative solution is to place a hand on something physical in the room, such as the arm of the sofa, a coffee table, or a wall. Concentrate on the physical sensation of that object to help bring you into the present moment and remind yourself that everything is OK in the moment. For some, this works as a way to return to a place of feeling calm.
“Using my rescue inhaler causes my anxiety to skyrocket. As if it is not already an anxiety-causing event.”
“How it is sometimes psychologically triggered by my anxiety.”
“Stress can cause asthma flare-ups for me, and then I get more stressed and then I need my inhaler. It is a vicious cycle.”
Most annoying asthma symptoms
Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences for this story. We appreciate hearing from so many of you. Please feel free to share your most annoying asthma symptom in the comments below!
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