Can you acquire asthma in your twenties?

Question

Lately I have had short bouts of shallow breathing, usually later in the day, but I get 8 hours of sleep a night. After working out hard one day I experienced a cough that had a sort of wheeze at the end of it. I am 21 and this happened 2 years ago. The cough only comes now and then though. The shallow breathing started about a week ago. I played hockey from age 5-18 and had no problems. Could I asthma? Thanks!!

Answer 1

Yes, you can develop Asthma at any time in your life. I was 40 when I had my first Asthma attack. My Dad was in his 70's

when he first had an Asthma attack.

When I was young, I took classes and private lessions in the following activities:

Ballet, Tap, Gymnastics, Piano , Flute, Piccolo, Twirling, Ice Skating, and Marching in my High School band. I never had any problems with my breathing until about eight years after I was in a really bad wreck. My Doctors asked if anyone in my family had Asthma. I told them that my Grandfather had been diagnosed with Emphysema, but no one in my family ever had any Asthma problems. My doctors said Asthma was similar to Allergies -- that it could happen to anyone at any unexpected time.

We have a sixteen year old who also has Asthma attacks ocassionally, too. His attacks seem to happen closer to the time when it is time to go to bed, but everyone is different. His Asthma symptoms are not as severe as mine. Neither my son nor I smoke, however, my Dad smoked for years.

Smoking is especially not good for Asthmatics because you tend to cough a lot more and Asthma tends to cause severe wheezing in smokers.

I hope that you get some good information from the link that I have provided below:

http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/asthma...

Asthma Symptoms

People with asthma experience symptoms when the airways tighten, inflame, or fill with mucus. Common symptoms of asthma include:

Coughing, especially at night

Wheezing

Shortness of breath

Chest tightness, pain, or pressure

Still, not every person with asthma has the same symptoms in the same way. You may not have all of these symptoms, or you may have different symptoms at different times. Your asthma symptoms may also vary from one asthma attack to the next, being mild during one asthma attack and severe during another.

Some people with asthma may go for extended periods without having any symptoms, interrupted by periodic worsening of their symptoms called asthma attacks. Others might have asthma symptoms every day. In addition, some people with asthma may only have asthma during exercise or asthma with viral infections like colds.

Mild asthma attacks are generally more common. Usually, the airways open up within a few minutes to a few hours. Severe attacks are less common but last longer and require immediate medical help. It is important to recognize and treat even mild symptoms to help you prevent severe episodes and keep asthma under better control.

1. Know the Early Asthma Symptoms

Early warning signs are changes that happen just before or at the very beginning of an asthma attack. These asthma attack symptoms may start before the well-known symptoms of asthma and are the earliest signs that your asthma is worsening.

In general, these signs are not severe enough to stop you from going about your daily activities. But by recognizing these signs, you can stop an asthma attack or prevent one from getting worse. Early warning signs include:

Frequent cough, especially at night

Losing your breath easily or shortness of breath

Feeling very tired or weak when exercising

Wheezing or coughing after exercise

Feeling tired, easily upset, grouchy, or moody

Decreases or changes in lung function as measured on a peak flow meter

Signs of a cold, or allergies (sneezing, runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat, and headache)

Trouble sleeping

If you have early warning signs or symptoms, you should take more asthma medication as described in your asthma action plan.

You should go to an Asthma/Allergy Specialist to determine just what type of Asthma you have and what treatment options

are available for you. I have been living just fine with Asthma for 9 1/2 years. Mine is now under control, but I do have an ocassional attack once in a while. But I have to go prepared at all times and use my inhaler. So, I take my inhaler almost everywhere with me as a precaution.

Best of luck!!  I hope this information has been of some help to you! ☺

Answer 2

Asthma in children is usually outgrown.  Asthma in adults is so much worse, and starts very slow, where you barely recognize it.

I had it as a child and outgrew it.  Then at 24 I got the really, really bad flu and lost 14 lbs in 8 days.  Then it started very slowly and now on regular meds for it.  Life is very difficult for me, as being out in the mountains or whatever freaks me out; it's like, where are my meds.  Yikes.

Get it checked out and if it is, get on meds and follow the plan made by your doc.  When you're having an asthma attack, you don't realize it before it's too late.

Answer 3

Yes.  See your doctor.  Check out the following pages on asthma - it will help to document your symptoms and when they occur.  

http://www.building-your-green-home.com/...

http://www.building-your-green-home.com/...

Hope this helps.