Odd flare-up while traveling
This last weekend I was visiting South Carolina (I hail happily from California) and had an unexpected flare-up. It was odd because typically my first hint of problems is coughing up a storm. I was speaking to a group of people and every time I went to talk found myself really breathless. My first reaction was to ask what the altitude was - it felt like when I've visited really high places like Flagstaff. Once I figured out what was actually going on the rescue inhaler worked pretty well.
Problem is I have no idea what triggered the problem and am concerned since I will be visiting this area again later this year. There wasn't anything obvious...cig smoke, blooming plants or trees, but then again I don't know the southern US at all. Thoughts and suggestions welcome because it really freaked me out.
Hi there... Traveling can often present problems for those with allergies and/or asthma, because you can be exposed to totally new and unfamiliar triggers. At this time of year in the south, there are any number of triggers that may have been at work, including tree & grass pollens, as well as mold spores. You may never know for sure what it was.
But you can help prevent problems by taking some medicine preventively. Are you on anything for allergies? If so, be sure to take it for at least a week or two before you go to South Carolina, so that it will be at its full effectiveness by the time you get there. Same goes with any asthma controller medicine. If you do that, you shouldn't really need to use a rescue medicine much.
Take care,
Kathi
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