Flash back Friday - what caused my asthma attack?

 

 

 

Flashback is just from this week. I had another asthma attack, this one on Wednesday night.

Problem is, I can't for the life of me figure out what set it off.

I remember sneezing quite a bit, and my family laughing and saying, "are you done yet?"but instead of answering, I just sneezed some more. Then I started coughing, and coughing, and coughing. I could feel my chest tightening up, then started coughing up mucus. Fun times!

So, as I was sitting on the couch in my big furry bathrobe, I had to try to think back to what I had just done. I changed clothes in my room, washed my face, then went in and retrieved a book from my nightstand.

That was it. I had to analyze each action. Anything in the bathroom that would have set it off? 

 

How about the nightstand? Was it too dusty? 

 

I remember the curtain catching on my bathrobe as I passed. Hhmm, it was the 'winter curtains' I had in the store room. I had changed my bed set to put the winter colored bed set and curtains up. Could it be that the curtains that were stored downstairs were too dusty? I usually wash them before I put them back up, but they were stored in between a couple of comforters, so they should have been protected.

Was there something else I missed? What could have set it off?

Sometimes the most frustrating thing about asthma is trying to figure out what sets off an asthma attack. I've had one while I was shopping for a baby present in a national retail store (where I've shopped for years without any problems). 

 

I had one at the hardware store this summer (where we shop frequently, because something is always in need of repair in our historic home). So why do I have an asthma attack there one day, but not another? It's hard to determine cause and effect. And it can be unnerving, because asthma attacks can be swift and hard hitting.

This week was one of those, where I was coughing so hard I almost threw up. I told myself, to stay calm and try to belly breathe. 

 

Anxiety can make asthma attacks worse - and put you in an endless cycle. You can't breath, so you panic, then the panic makes the asthma worse.

Everything turned out okay, but I'm still puzzled as to what caused it. 

 

Guess that's life with asthma.