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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Asthma / September 2005heavy burning versus constriction and restriction
I have a harsh burning feeling if pushing exercise beyond slow speeds. By this, I mean I can walk for hours and hours without any burning. When it's cold out (0 Celsius or under) fast walking can cause a lung burn. Even a 30 second run can cause lung burn at medium speed (even after warming up). If running at a moderately slow pace, burning can occur at any time after 1-5 minutes of exersize. If running at a medium pace, terrible burning occurs within 30 seconds or so. The pain of the burning occurs moreso after stopping. In fact, the burning is less noticed while exercising, but increases in pain after stopping and waiting for 1-10 minutes (recovery of the burning can take up to 1-2 hours or more).The most painful part of the burning is after exercise while trying to recover. Running in warm weather does not cure the problem (25 degrees Celsius, 15 degrees Celsius, etc.). Cold weather does make the problem worse though. There is no restriction feeling or any constriction of the tubes or airways. I have some confusion about asthma: and this confusion of course is partly due to lack of proper education/advice from the medical system. Some doctors will diagnose you with asthma if you have any sort of breathing problems. Some will only diagnose you with asthma if your tubes are constricted. Some doctors will ramble on about tubes being restricted even if you have told them there is no such feeling. I strongly notice (believe is not the proper word) that my tubes are not restricted. This is lung burn issue. Doing exersize does not cause me to feel as if I am breathing through a straw. It causes pain in the lungs. A very unpleasant pain. The airway path feels 100 percent clear, but the lungs feel in heavy pain (as if you have just coughed up a lung previously. Or, since I've never smoked, the feeling is possibly how a smoker would feel, but I'm not sure.). When I cough, there is no or little flem that comes up. So it appears it is not an infection. I assume a bit of flem is a protection against the lung pain, so sometimes there is a bit of flem (but always clear). I'm a Non-smoker Was a runner 7 years ago (competitive with excellent times). Stopped 7 years ago due to lung burn and knee problems. Run occasionally now, trying to figure out my issues without success. I come here to hopefully find and discuss this problem with other people. Searching "lung burn" on the search engines reveals not too much relevant information or diagnosis. Regards, Lars Olson w/sad lungs A few extra points I will mention: -changing location to a humid location did not appear to help (tried running near the ocean on holidays, and tried running on foggy days). Same problems existed. -if running really slow, sometimes I can run for several kilometers (5-20) without lung burn. But only if really slow paced. -7 to10 years ago, when I ran at a slow-medium pace, I would get huffing and puffing (out of breath) but would never experience lung burn. I'd be happy to put up with being out of breath.. it's the lung burn kills the entire day. Is your "lung burning" relieved by a bronchodilator? In some cases, small airway constrction (i.e. asthma) may manifest with discomfort (? lung burning) rather than the usual wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, etc. A trial of inhaled steroid +/- a bronchodilator may help sort out your problem. Hope that helps. >A few extra points I will mention: > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > happy to put up with being out of breath.. it's the > lung burn kills the entire day. > Is your "lung burning" relieved by a bronchodilator? In some cases, small > airway constrction (i.e. asthma) may manifest with discomfort (? lung > burning) rather than the usual wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, etc. > A trial of inhaled steroid +/- a bronchodilator may help sort out your > problem. Hope that helps. I'm sure the steroid would help relieve the pain - but I don't think it would be solving a restriction problem, I think it would just be a pain reliever. I want to find out more specific information instead of just being diagnosed with such a vague and meaningless "asthma". If steroids relieve pain, then any breathing problem can be solved with steroids - even without first even knowing what your problem is. If steroids don't relieve pain, and they purely open up the tubes - please correct me. Sounds to me like you just don't want to accept the possibility that you have asthma. I doubt anyone here is going to say, "Ah, yes, burning lungs - that's from....." so I will be surprised if you find what you are looking for here. You can't "notice" whether or not your small airways are constricting (no matter what you may believe). The only way to find out is to have the proper evaluation done and perhaps a trial of treatment. I agree that there are other possibilities so it would be important to have the proper testing. One word of advice: If you are going to reject out of hand what doctors tell you and then come here and reject out of hand what other asthmatics tell you - you should at least try to understand some basic things like what asthma is (and isn't) and what a steroid does.  Signature00doc > Sounds to me like you just don't want to accept the possibility that > you have asthma. I doubt anyone here is going to say, "Ah, yes, burning > lungs - that's from....." so I will be surprised if you find what you > are looking for here. flamebait, rant-bate, etc. ? ;-) Ok smart alek ... From your perspective, this means that when I get a cold for ten days, I must have asthma for ten days, correct? That means that if I have a heart problem or a heart attack, I must have asthma, correct? That means if I am a smoker, and I have breathing problems, I must have asthma correct? Even if the doctor says clearly that I do not have asthma, just flem and tobacco in my lungs? For your information, I'm not just "looking here". I'm offering help also to other people who may come across a similar problem as mine. I don't come here to steal and take. I come here to -give- and -take-. There are plenty of newsgroups that I've posted on where people post valid and useful information. I'd suggest you start doing the same. Would you please not generalize all breathing problems as a restriction in the tubes? Would you please not generalize a pain in the leg with cancer? Would you please not amputate my leg just if I tell you there is some pain there? There is no doubt in my mind that I have a breathing problem. A breathing problem could be from a failing heart too. A breathing problem could be from an infection. It could be from a lingering pneumonia. Please don't generalize this as "asthma". You could even go far as saying couch potatoes have asthma when they try to run around the block. This is false. This is over-generalizing. >You can't "notice" whether or not your small airways are constricting >(no matter what you may believe). Yes you can. I have noticed this myself. Actually, I forgot to mention that I was diagnosed with cold-weather induced breathing problem about 10 years ago and I had a straw like breathing feeling through the lungs only in cold weather. I would huff and puff but never have lung pain. I'd have to stop to catch my breath, and it was very annoying. But no lung pain like I have now. Just purely out of breath annoyance. This is what I thought and concluded was one type of "asthma". It was extremely and obviously noticeable. The straw like feeling was so obvious to me, and it makes me wonder why you just said in your above quote "you -can't notice". Obviously, you are giving misleading advice on this forum. There is no straw like feeling now, just lung burn. Things have changed. In fact, just yesterday, I had the lung burn feeling while sitting down and taking a nice deep breath. This obviously has nothing to do with a mechanical restriction in the tubes. Are you trying to tell me that if I breath through a drinking straw that it will cause pain in my lungs? Are you aware of physics, mechanics, etc.? Are you telling me that if I have a cold for ten days and I notice pain in my lungs, that this just must be asthma? All these posts I am making will help other people who have similar problems. There is no harm in me getting the facts straight and posting information. Please do not make generalizations - not all breathing problems are a restriction problem. I have the experience of a restriction problem and I know what it feels like. Maybe you can't "notice" your straw like breathing problem - I don't know what meds your are on, but maybe too many to "notice" some things. Next time a normal, healthy person in the Olympics gets a cold for 5 days, please don't tell me they have "asthma". There are different causes to different problems. Not all cancers are the same exact over-generalized cancer either. You treat asthma as if it's some simple generic problem. And this is extremely dangerous. If you diagnose a person who has a failing heart as an "asthmatic" -this is very dangerous (especially if you were a doctor - you would get sued). p.s. please don't reply if you don't have anything useful to post. I haven't generalized anything. I was just commenting that your refusal to accept even the possibility is a bit strange - especially when you consider some of the stuff you apparently have taken to heart. Signature00doc > I haven't generalized anything. > > I was just commenting that your refusal to accept even the possibility is a > bit strange - especially when you consider some of the stuff you apparently > have taken to heart. What I've never taken, is a whiff of a puffer. You see, my "asthma" is not even bad enough that I need one. So how can it be asthma? So if I have "asthma" according to whatever the definition, I will most likely never need a puffer, because there is only asthma when I do excersize. I can go for bike rides, walks etc. at slow pace and never become out of breath. This is a different case of a breathing problem. When something is extremely different from other's cases (I consider my breathing problem rare or wierd), one assumes that it is not "asthma" just out of human instinct. i.e. if my leg has a rare cancer on it, it may need special treatment. So, I suppose I could go as far as calling my breathing problem a rare case of "asthma" of some sort, but I'm not sure, since it could be a heart problem or something else. Of course I will accept the possibility that I have "asthma", but it is pretty hard when I don't even know what "asthma" is. YOu have not really answered, on what it is. If it means "breathing problem", then for sure, yes I do have "asthma". It is not like "cancer" where cancer can actually be detected by science via cell structures? That is what I'm getting at. >> I haven't generalized anything. >> [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > cell structures? That is what > I'm getting at. I haven't been following this thread, but check out www.asthmastory.com , because it may apply. You may have asthma caused by bacteria, in which case, it can be resolved. > I haven't been following this thread, but check out www.asthmastory.com , > because it may apply. You may have asthma caused by bacteria, in which > case, it can be resolved. Good luck. He doesn't think it is even remotely possible that he has asthma. Signature00doc >> I haven't generalized anything. >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > even bad enough > that I need one. So how can it be asthma? Whatever. I'm really not into this internet game where you give half the story and then keep telling everyone they are wrong while filling in a few blanks at a time. FWIW the definition of asthma has little to do with whether you feel like you need a puffer. > So if I have "asthma" according to whatever the definition, I will most > likely never need > a puffer, because there is only asthma when I do excersize. I can go for > bike rides, walks > etc. at slow pace and never become out of breath. Exersized induced asthma is still asthma and it can be helped by puffers. You are right that if that is the only time you have symptoms then you probably do not need daily meds. To be correctly diagnosed you really need the proper tests. Uncomon presentations of common things happen more often than classic presentations of uncommon things. In short - what is common is common and usually will be the answer and you probably do not have anything particularly wierd. You instinct has little to do with it simce there is not much about the diagnosis of asthma that is instinctual. I'm not really sure exactly what your point is in posting here. Signature00doc As you requested, I will correct you...Steroids are NOT actually pain relievers..they are anti-inflammatory medications. They will "open up the tubes" (i.e. small airways) and decrease pain by relieving inflammation (like asthma) in the airways. Another correction...Not every breathing problem will be relieved by steroids. You never answered the question about whether your symptoms are relieved by bronchodilators, and also how can you be "sure a steroid would relieve the pain"? If you want "more specific information" regarding the cause of your condition, you need to see a good pulmonologist and have a proper evaluation...i.e. chest x-ray, pulmonary function tests, etc. >> Is your "lung burning" relieved by a bronchodilator? In some cases, > small [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > If steroids don't relieve pain, and they purely open up the tubes - > please correct me. > As you requested, I will correct you...Steroids are NOT actually pain > relievers..they are anti-inflammatory medications. They will "open up the > tubes" (i.e. small airways) and decrease pain by relieving inflammation They decrease pain but they aren't pain relievers? Okay, indirect pain relievers? All inflammation is painful... inflammation in the joints, etc. So, the way I see it.. if they are relieving pain, aren't they...... pain relievers. Coffee is supposed to open up the airways, but I don't drink coffee. Should I start drinking coffee just for this reason? I will not take steroids until I first know what generally it is I have a problem with (I don't have to know the TRUTH or the ONE ANSWER, of course not). I will not drink coffee until I know the side effects of coffee. I will not smoke until I know that I need to smoke or want to smoke. Is this wrong? > pulmonologist and have a proper evaluation...i.e. chest x-ray, pulmonary > function tests, etc. Had the chest X ray a few times and nothing showed up. I will research into the pulmonary function tests. Thanks for mentioning that. I think it is wrong to go on steroids just to "test" and see if they help, since I'm not in an emergency situation. I would go on them, if I was in an emergency situation. But since I have such a minor issue in relation to all you folks on here, why not just research the problem before just jumping to steroids? If I don't do medium exercise, I wouldn't even know I had asthma. So it is in no way even essential that I go on steroids, unless I was an Olympic athlete and was in an emergency situation where my pay check or something relied on my exercise. All I'm doing is research. Something that even doctors sometimes miss, when the prescribe experimental ginny pig like drugs for people to see if it "cures" the problem. But I don't even have a problem, in comparison to what I read on this list. I feel lucky. Lars G'day L505, your suggestion of a burning sensation is one of the symptoms of pleurosy, this would be especially noticeable with any exercise or exertion. It would also be more apparent with drier and colder air, especially if trying to deep breathe, it is supposed to be a really delightful sensation. The problem is not far removed from pneumonia and often results from a bacteria or fungal type infection. Breathing clean warm steam will usually offer some form of temporary relief. You might follow this line of reasoning before you get too involved with the asthma diagnosis although it appears some asthmatic drugs may be used for the problem it will probably need antibiotics. Cheers, Merlin. For people interested, here are some quotes #1 "asthma is a condition in which the airways of the lungs become either narrowed or completely blocked, impeding normal breathing" That is not my direct problem. #2 "although asthma is very common, it is not well understood" Of course asthma is not well understood, especially by myself and other people posting here. Hopefully we can at least acknowledge this instead of denying it. I acknowledge it. #3 "You can have a mild or serious form of asthma. If you have asthma, you may have a bad cough, wheezing, a tight feeling in the chest, and trouble breathing." I do not have a bad cough, I do not have wheezing, and I do not have a tight feeling in the chest. I have a localized pain in the lungs. So what is asthma, exactly? See quote number 2. #4 "The constriction and swelling make it hard to breathe and cause the other symptoms of asthma." I do not feel constriction or swelling of any sort. I have a lung pain and lung inflammation feeling. I have no problems "breathing" mechanically.. everything flows in fast like normal. Just that the air "hurts" me when it gets in my lungs. Whether I breath fast or slow, it hurts consistently. So far it appears I do not have "generic asthma". Whether or not I have a "breathing problem" is obvious. Of course I do. #5 "Mike: I'd like you to elaborate a little more on asthma, and the idea that the body is managing its water supply deliberately in a way that produces symptoms that are called asthma. Dr. B: Yes, well you see, drought management means that you have to clog the holes where water is lost from the body. Water is the most precious commodity in the interior of your body, and when not enough is coming in and more is being lost, this is a no-no situation for your body. The intelligence behind the design of the body has it such that a drought management program will kick in, and then allergies are a sign of dehydration because the system that regulates water balance of the body suppresses the immune system, because it's an energy-consuming situation. Then you get asthma." Although this guy might not have all the answers, and water surely is not the only answer... it is interesting that when I drink water it does help the lung pain problem. #6 "No one knows exactly what causes asthma." Oh, surely this just can't be true. I'm sure some of the expert posters in this thread know the exact cause of "asthma". They wouldn't bother coming to this newsgroup if they didn't "know all" first. #7 "A person having an asthma flare may cough, wheeze (make a whistling sound while breathing), be short of breath, and feel an intense tightness in the chest." This is much to generic.. this could be describing a person with a cold or a heart problem. So from this definition, we cannot determine if the person has asthma (whatever asthma is, in the first place.). #8 "Infections can cause inflammation of the airways of the lungs. Usually when this occurs, you may cough when you are active or laugh. This inflammation can cause shortness of breath, lots of phlegm, and a burning feeling in the chest. After the cold is gone, it is possible for the inflammation to linger. This inflammation can last for several weeks. Sometimes this inflammation may linger for 3 to 6 months. Eventually the inflammation will go away, and then the shortness of breath, lots of phlegm, and burning feeling in the chest will stop. This is called reactive airways disease (RAD) and behaves a lot like asthma." Gee, so it appears the answer is not just "ASTHMA". I've come closer to finding the solution to my problem. It appears to behave LIKE asthma, but it is NOT general, generic, basic, overly-diagnosed, falsely diagnosed asthma. I will continue to post more information as I find it. |
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