Breathing issue

[chefjnelson03]

Hey currently riding Route 66 down to the transam. Had some really hot days in northwest Ohio and have noticed toward the end of my longer days my chest feels strange when taking deep breaths. And a deep breath usually forces me to dry cough a few times.

It’s a very similar feeling sorta to when you do hard cardio in cold weather. The breathing hurts the lungs and u cough a lot. That sorta thing.

But obviously this thing is in the warm weather.

So any thoughts or advice on what this is?

[staehpj1]

Seeing a doctor might be in order, but a few possibilities that come to mind are:

• Covid 19 - I don't know if your symptoms are consistent with covid or not but it might be worth getting tested.
• Allergies - I have had symptoms that sound a little like yours from allergies.  You might try an anti-histamine.  Benadryl  (diphenhydramine) is cheap and has worked well for me, but there are many others like Claritin (loratidine), Allegra (fexofenadine), and Zyrtec (cetirizine).
• Forest fire smoke (depending on where you are) - I have suffered from smoke when it was sparse enough that I wasn't aware that it was even the problem.  The fires can be hundreds of miles away and the smoke can be pretty bad.  It has ruined a few trips for me when it was bad enough.

[zzzz]

I used to get exactly this condition 30 years ago when I used to race. If the race was held on a hot day when the pollen count was up and I was really stretched by the pace, after it was over I would have this same thing happen to me. Very uncomfortable.
My doc told me it was sports induced asthma and I was given an inhaler. It did me very little good as by the time I could break out the inhaler my lung capacity was down to 10% but being on tour instead of a race you can pull over as soon as you feel it.
That said, I’m not a doc so I’d go walk into a ready clinic and get yourself properly diagnosed

[staehpj1]

My doc told me it was sports induced asthma and I was given an inhaler.

Worth looking into, but I seem to remember that when I had that condition way back in my racing days and again in my trail running days it was way more prevalent on cold days.  Not so much in the heat.  In fact I don't think that I personally ever suffered from it on hot days.  Maybe some do though.  Anyway the cold factor is why it wasn't on my list.

[Pat Lamb]

Just guessing about location and weather, but Pete's allergy guess sounds like a good guess.  Agricultural dust from plowing or various sprays, tree pollen, or spring weeds can mess things up.  You might pop an antihistamine and see if it helps.  I'm not going to get into the "which antihistamine is best?" hole, except to say I've been surprised how much one Zyrtec in the morning helped me through this year's pine pollen season.

[jwrushman]

I agree with zzzz.  It sounds like exercised induced bronchospasms.  Breathing tends to be okay until when you stop and the lungs "tighten up".  Things that go against EIB is that it tends to be worse in cooler/colder and dryer weather - not like Ohio in this time of the year.  Did you ever has asthma as a child?  I thinks it is more common in asthmatics.  How well does your PMD know you?  He/she may prescribe in inhaler without the usual spirometry/peak flow testing.

[ray b]

I was just in southern Ohio all lasr week with some BMW RS riders....  You could see some of the pine trees emptying their pollen on us. Tree pollen levels were through the roof. Washing one's face and hair as often as possible and especially at bedtime,  prevents some of the symptoms. Nasal steroids for a few days might be a big help andcan decrease the bronchospasm. Over the counter fluticasone is a favorite. Remember, it takes 8 h to kick in and a few days to full effect.

[BikeliciousBabe]

I was just in southern Ohio all lasr week with some BMW RS riders....  You could see some of the pine trees emptying their pollen on us. Tree pollen levels were through the roof.

It was that way here in Philly last week and even before that. My car stays parked outside for long periods without being moved. The thing looked like it had been dusted with fine, yellow cornmeal. So much pollen. The many windy days we had really spread it around.

[driftlessregion]

Sorry folks but this seems very inappropriate for this forum. Get thee to an urgent care!

[ray b]

Sorry folks but this seems very inappropriate for this forum. Get thee to an urgent care!

On review - agree entirely. Although statistically, the initial comments were on track, a lot of really bad things can cause bronchospasm and chest discomfort.