Is coughing/getting congested from laughing related to asthma?
Patient: im wondering if i have exercise induced asthma...i was playing bball with a friend a while ago and after maybe 5/10 minutes (i was playing hard) he made me stop because the way i was breathing scared him. He saidi was breathing really deep/fast andhe thought i was going to pass out. I didnt notice because im usually like that when i exercise (bball,skateboarding,biking). depending on how long/hard i exercise ill get a tight chest so its kinda harder to breathe (sometimes if i just push myself harder my chest will burn) and end up feeling congested and ill be coughing a lot. I always thought it was normal, but my friend asked if i had asthma...and so i looked stuff up and found out about EIA. Im wondering if i should go to a doctor, cus i have some people telling me im just out of shape...but i dunno cus i rememeber coughing a lot during exercise for the last two years or so. Its a deep harsh cough from the chest.  One person told me i might have just normal asthma. I never had allergies before but in the last year or so i have noticed that especially in the summer ill have what feels like sinus problems...just a feeling of pressure around my nose/eyes and a headache. I never used to get headaches much before either. I dunno if im imagining things now cus im wondering wat my symptoms are, but it feels like im either getting sick (cus my sister had a cold recently) or something else..cus my chest feels a little tight, ive got that sort of sinus pressure feeling and a little bit of a headache...Does coughing/getting congested from laughing have anything to do with asthma? cus i dont even have to laugh hard to get that. In a conversation i can laugh several times off and on and then start coughing (with phlegm) Doctor: Hello,Thank you for asking at HCM.I went through your history and would like to knoe more about you like your age, nose symptoms, weight, height, family history, etc etc.However, from your provided details, at present I would like to make suggestions for you as follows:1. Yes, bouts of coughing and breathing difficulty/fast breathing/wheezing (whistle like sound from chest) while exercise and laughing suggest asthma.Asthma is a very broad diagnosis, it can be due to allergies or other non-allergic reasons to. Sinusitis (a sinus disorder) and obesity also worsen asthma symptoms.2. As you have above symptoms and also sinus problems, I would suggest you to consult a doctor who may suggest you investigations for diagnosis of asthma and allergies also.3. I usually suggest my such patients spirometry with post-bronchodilator reversibility testing and post-exercise testing to diagnose/rule out asthma. 4. Sometimes exercise related breathing issues can also be non-asthmatic, so it is important that you see a doctor and get diagnosed by him/her.5. If you are obese, weight reduction will also improve your symptoms to some extent.6. Control of sinus symptoms with antihistamines (cetirizine or levocetirizine or fexofenadine etc) and regular steam inhalation will also gradually improve you symptoms.7. Regular physical exercise including breathing exercise and healthy diet rich in vitamins & minerals will gradually improve your lung capacity and immunity respectively in a long run.8. Please avoid exposure to dusts, smokes and air pollution as much as possible.9. For breathing difficulty/wheezing/asthma symptoms, your doctor suggest you to use salbutamol inhaler on as-and-when-needed basis or inhaled corticosteroids on regular basis depending upon your spirometry report and detailed examination.Hope above suggestions will be helpful to you.Should you have any further query, please feel free to ask at HCM.Wish you the best of the health ahead.Thank you & Regards.