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Can Asthma Cause Back Pain

There Are Many Different Types Of Asthma Brought On By Many Different Triggers

How do chest infections make asthma symptoms worse? | Asthma UK

If youre struggling with asthma symptoms trouble breathing, a persistent cough or tightness in the chest an allergist can help you take control by providing a diagnosis and identifying the underlying causes. 

Learn about the triggers and treatment for allergic asthma and how an allergist can help you manage allergy and asthma symptoms.

Asthma And Chest Pain

If you have asthma, your immune system can cause your airways to become inflamed and swollen when youre around certain irritants. This can lead to chest tightness, pressure, or pain.

Studies show that chest pain, along with other non-respiratory symptoms, frequently occur before or during an asthma attack. If you experience chest pain after an asthma attack, it could be because youre sore from the coughing, deep breathing, or other symptoms you experienced.

Coughing, deep breathing, and changing positions can all worsen chest pain in people with asthma.

Blood Pressure Medication Carvedilol

Carvedilol is a type of medication known as a beta-blocker, which relaxes the muscle cells in the heart and blood vessels to lower blood pressure. Carvedilol is used to treat patients with high blood pressure and in cases of heart failure where the heart cannot adequately pump blood to the body. Joint aches and back pain are reported in almost 6% of patients taking it.

Dr O.

References:

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What Are Common Asthma Attack Triggers

An asthma attack happens when someone comes in contact with substances that irritate them. Healthcare providers call these substances triggers. Knowing what triggers your asthma makes it easier to avoid asthma attacks.

For some people, a trigger can bring on an attack right away. Sometimes, an attack may start hours or days later.

Triggers can be different for each person. But some common triggers include:

  • Air pollution: Many things outside can cause an asthma attack. Air pollution includes factory emissions, car exhaust, wildfire smoke and more.
  • Dust mites: You cant see these bugs, but they are in many homes. If you have a dust mite allergy, they can cause an asthma attack.
  • Exercise: For some people, exercising can cause an attack.
  • Mold: Damp places can spawn mold. It can cause problems for people with asthma. You dont even have to be allergic to mold to have an attack.
  • Pests: Cockroaches, mice and other household pests can cause asthma attacks.
  • Pets: Your pets can cause asthma attacks. If youre allergic to pet dander , breathing in the dander can irritate your airways.
  • Tobacco smoke: If you or someone in your home smokes, you have a higher risk of developing asthma. The best solution is to quit smoking.
  • Strong chemicals or smells.

With asthma, you may not have all of these symptoms. You may have different signs at different times. And symptoms can change between asthma attacks.

Asthma Is A Complex Condition

Lung Pain: Causes, Treatment, and When to See a Doctor

Occasionally, people with asthma experience what are known as silent symptoms. This is where the signs of the tightening of the airways dont result in the familiar asthma sounds of wheezing and coughing. If you or someone you live with, work with, or care for experiences silent symptoms, it is important they consult a doctor for an ongoing Asthma Action Plan. People around the person with asthmasuch as co-workers, school teachers or daycare educators should know about the silent symptoms so they can respond if needed. Asthma can start at any age, and can be more of a problem when it starts in older adults. Dont assume if you never had asthma as a child that its not possible to develop symptoms now. Being breathless is not a normal part of getting older, it should always be checked out by a doctor.

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Symptoms Of Slipping Rib Syndrome

  • Clinically, patients often note sharp, intermittent, stabbing pain followed by  a  dull achy sensation for hours or days. Slipping: and popping sensations are common, and activities such as bending, coughing, deep breathing, lifting, reaching, rising from a chair, stretching, and turning in bed often exacerbate symptoms.

What Is The Best Way To Live With Asthma

The key to good living with asthma is developing a strong partnership between patients, caregivers, and physicians. Practical steps include the following:

   Make an asthma care management plan with your physician. An asthma management plan helps you understand what to do when specific situations arise. Each time you visit the physician, talk about your plan, and make any necessary changes.

   Educate yourself. Stay informed about the latest developments in asthma and allergy care and treatment. Ask your physician about new medications or research findings that may relate to your care.

   Get regular medical care. If you have asthma, you should see your physician at least once a year, even if your symptoms are under control. When you become sick, or if you have significant changes in your health, you should also talk with your physician about how your asthma could be affected.

   Take your medicine. Your asthma medications will make you feel better and sometimes people think thats the time to stop. Its not! Use your medications as prescribed.

With good management, asthma symptoms can be controlled. Most people who develop adult onset asthma are able to lead normal lives. Expect success!

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Treatment Approaches In Summary

We are a society of shallow breathers: afraid of moving our bellies, afraid of expressing ourselves, living our lives in chairs, and stressed out by our busy minds. Instead of breathing with the diaphragm, people tend to breathe with upper body musculature that is inadequate to the task, with a cascade of musculoskeletal consequences and vulnerabilities. These are the solutions to dysfunctional breathing:

  • the book lifting exercise, to learn how to recruit the diaphragm
  • water breathing, to increase your diaphragmatic strength and coordination
  • controlled frequency breathing , to increase inspiratory muscle strength
  • the abdominal lift exercise, to strengthen and stimulate the abdominal musculature and increase your body awareness of abdominal movement during breathing
  • stay out of chairs as much as possible, so that your diaphragm actually has room to do its job
  • embark on a program of stress and anxiety reduction, whatever that means to you
  • round breathing, to break down the emotional rigidity that makes it so hard to breathe diaphragmatically in the first place

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If Your Asthma Symptoms Are Caused By Allergies Take Steps To Control Knownor Potential Triggers In Your Environment

Can Your Back Be Causing Your Knee Pain? — Dr Mandell

Allergy-proof your house for dust, mold, cockroaches, and other common indoor allergens to which you are allergic.

 Reduce your outdoor activities when the pollen count or ozone level is high.

 Choose foods that dont contribute to your asthma or allergy symptoms.

 Evaluate your workplace for possible allergens and take the necessary steps to reduce your exposure to them.

In order to determine relevant triggers, you may want to seek consultation with an allergist who can further define these triggers.

In addition, anyone with asthma should consider getting an annual flu shot. Older adults also should talk with their internist about getting a pneumonia vaccination.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Asthma

While symptoms vary from person to person, the most common signs of mild asthma include:

  • difficulty breathing feeling breathless, even while resting, or being unable to finish full sentences before needing to take another breath
  • wheezing making a whistling sound while breathing
  • coughing either at specific times or after certain activities

During a severe asthma attack, you may notice more serious symptoms, such as:

  • feeling very distressed, exhausted or even limp from trying to breathe
  • deep sucking motions at the throat or chest while trying to breathe

Can Acid Reflux Cause Asthma

Patients with asthma are known to experience GERD and are likelier to develop acid reflux than people without asthma. This is because acid reflux can cause damage to the esophagus, leading to chronic coughing.

Overproduction of acid and constant exposure to stomach contents could also compromise the lungs, making it more susceptible to irritants like dust. 

Developing Asthma Due to GERD

Its not just asthmatic patients who can be affected by GERD. Turns out that patients who are non-asthmatic can have respiratory problems due to reflux symptoms. 

Wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty are tell-tale signs of asthma. Commonly diagnosed in childhood, adults can also develop asthma late in their lives due to a variety of reasons. Some patients can develop asthmatic symptoms while others go on to experience chronic asthma symptoms and eventually develop adult asthma. 

Asthma can be caused by a variety of stimuli including exposure to allergens and persistent flu. Doctors tend to identify acid reflux, or GERD in particular, as the cause for asthma when:

  • Asthma symptoms worsen after a meal
  • Asthma begins during adulthood, after the patient experiences reflux symptoms
  • Asthma doesnt get better with traditional asthma treatments 

Is It Always Serious?

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Solution Idea No 5: The Abdominal Lift

This exercise is straightforward and is vital for mastering many breathing techniques. It has several benefits: in addition to strongly stimulating diaphragmatic breathing, this ancient yoga exercise will also

  • exercise your “other” abdominal muscles .
  • wake you up in the morning by mobilizing the significant amount of blood that is “stored” in your viscera over night.
  • make “round breathing” much easier .
  • strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, touted as an essential component of sexual prowess for women and men! Also helpful in the prevention of bowel and urinary dysfunction.

And a host of other minor benefits. In all my years of experimenting with qigong, taijiquan, martial arts, yoga and other physical disciplines, this exercise still offers more bang-for-buck than any other single exercise. Its what I call a lifer, best done once a day for the rest of your life.

Here are the instructions:

  • Stand with your upper body supported on your knees.
  • Take at least three deep breaths to prepare yourself.
  • When you feel you have oxygenated sufficiently, blow all of your air out, hold your breath, and then suck your belly in hard against your spine. Particularly focus on your low belly, below the navel.
  • Hold the position and your breath for several seconds .
  • Relax the belly before breathing again .
  • Repeat at least three times, or until you are exhausted.
  • Can Asthma Reappear In Adults After Disappearing Years Ago

    Immune system: The body trying to protect itself causes ...

    Asthma is usually diagnosed in childhood. In many patients; however, the symptoms will disappear or are significantly reduced after puberty. After age 20, symptoms may begin to reappear.

    Researchers have tracked this tendency for reappearing asthma and found that people with childhood asthma tend to experience reappearing symptoms through their 30s and 40s at various levels of severity.

    Regardless of whether your asthma is active, you should continue to avoid your known triggers and keep your rescue medications or prescriptions up-to-date and handy in case you need them.

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    Solution Idea No 4: Round Breathing

    Everyones emotionally constipated, unless youre a sociopath or still in diapers. The price of maturity is that you repress much of your Genuine Self, and end up with a comfort zone that is suffocatingly narrow, respiratory dysfunction, and upper body pain. Aint life grand? Who knew neck pain could open such a can of worms?

    So, shallow breath and emotional constipation usually go together, and so they should be fixed together. Oddly enough, the best cure for shallow breathing is deeper breathing. Rocket science.

    Specifically, I recommend round breathing.25 In a nutshell, round breathing is fast, deep, continuous breathing that is hyperventilatory and gets you all dizzy and emotionally raw. What fun! You dont have to be able to breathe diaphragmatically to do it: the point is that it breaks down the emotional rigidity that makes it hard to breathe diaphragmatically in the first place.

    If this sounds dreadful, dont knock it until youve tried it. Round breathing is the closest thing I know of to a fountain of youth . Human beings are amazingly uptight critters. We get hung up on a whole lot of stuff, and this is the single best way to loosen up that I know of.

    There are at least three other major articles on this website on this subject, and they are listed at the end of this one.

    What Causes Adults To Develop Asthma

    At least 30% of adult asthma cases are triggered by allergies. People who are allergic to cats may have an increased risk for developing adult onset asthma. Exposure to allergens or irritants such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, mold, dust, or other substances commonly found in the persons environment might trigger the first asthma symptoms in an adult.

    Prolonged exposure to certain workplace materials may set off asthma symptoms in adults.

    Hormonal fluctuations in women may play a role in adult onset asthma. Some women first develop asthma symptoms during or after a pregnancy. Women going through menopause can develop asthma symptoms for the first time.

    Different illnesses, viruses, or infections can be a factor in adult onset asthma. A bad cold or a bout with the flu is often a factor in adult onset asthma.

    Smoking does not cause adult onset asthma; however, if you smoke or if you are exposed to cigarette smoke , it may provoke asthma symptoms.

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    Signs You Actually Have Severe Asthma

    Breathing is just one of those things you take for granted until it feels like every inhale or exhale is a struggle. Unfortunately, people with severe asthma have to deal with breathing issues way more often than anyone should, and it can be completely terrifying.

    Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects the airways that extend from your nose and mouth to your lungs, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute . When youre exposed to triggers like animal fur, pollen, mold, exercise, and respiratory infections, these airways can narrow, restricting your airflow. This can then make the muscles surrounding your airways constrict, making it even harder to breathe, and cause your airways to produce more mucus than normal, further compounding the problem. All together, this can lead to asthma symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing , and chest tightness or pain, according to the NHLBI.

    Like most health conditions, asthma severity runs along a spectrum, Emily Pennington, M.D., a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. Some people have cases where they experience minor symptoms here and there . Others can have asthma that is basically an ever-present problem and might result in scary asthma attacks, which is when symptoms ramp up in severity and can even become life-threatening.

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    The Link Between Asthma And Back Pain

    Can Back Pain Cause Breathing Problems?

    Asthma is an inflammatory condition that narrows your airways, lowering the passage of oxygen through your lungs. It also causes mucus buildup and difficulty in breathing. 

    As muscles used for breathing are connected to your vertebrae, altered breathing may result in back pain. Back pain is also related to chronic cough associated with asthma.

    While the exact correlation between these conditions is not known, studies show the following:

    • Breathing exercises help to manage non-specific and long-standing back pain.
    • Respiratory diseases are a predictor for low back pain.
    • A significant correlation between breathing pattern disorders and low back pain.
    • Patients with lower back pain had significantly altered breathing patterns during motor control testing.

    Patients with asthma hold their shoulder and head more forward and have decreased internal rotation, lowered chest wall expansion, and decreased thoracic spine flexibility as compared to the general population So, lower back, shoulder, and neck pain are significantly prevalent in asthmatic patients.

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    Chronic Pain And Blood Vessels

    Smoking can generate general body painblood vessels

    • Arteries
    • Veins

    blood flow and circulationmuscles, tendons, and the other spinal structures, like the discs

    • Smoking contributes to continued inflammation, which can increase pain
    • It can interfere with prescribed medications for pain management/other conditions
    • Proper absorption of minerals, nutrients, chemicals, medications, is disrupted
    • Damage to the spinal discs and facet joints

    neuron stimulation from the nicotine

    And Will Any Of That Help The Pain

    It was a probably for learning to breathe better, but its just a big fat maybe when it comes to actually treating pain. Consider thoracic outlet syndrome , a controversial and ambiguous condition with a variety of possible causes: its plausible that respiratory dysfunction is one factor in thoracic outlet syndrome, perhaps even a big one, but it is hardly a sure thing. A stubborn case of TOS could be just as resistent to respiratory training as any other therapy. Respiratory dysfunction might simply be another symptom of TOS, not a cause in that case, learning to breathe better might help you cope with one of the effects of TOS, but never come anywhere close to curing it.

    Its a gamble, but its a gamble where you win something either way: learning to breathe better is undoubtedly inherently valuable, even if it doesnt touch the pain.

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    Breast Cancer Medications Anastrozole Exemestane Letrozole

    Anastrozole , exemestane , and letrozole are medications used in the treatment of breast cancer. They belong to a group of drugs known as aromatase inhibitors that either block estrogen hormones from being made or block estrogens effect on the body. These three medicines are usually taken for years to prevent breast cancer from recurring. Half of all women taking them experience joint pain.

    Are There Rare Acid Reflux Symptoms

    What Is Sciatica? Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

    Although a common gastrointestinal condition, not all acid reflux symptoms are shared by patients. Some only experience heartburn and regurgitation, which are two distinct signs of acid reflux. Others may exhibit symptoms that stray from the usual list. 

    Listed below are some of the usual concerns on uncommon acid reflux symptoms. Keep in mind that the majority of these are caused by chronic acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease and may not be relevant to patients with temporary acid reflux.

    If so, a separate issue not related to acid reflux may be the cause of the following symptoms:

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    Chest Pain In Children And Adolescents

  • Surendranath R. Veeram Reddy, MD
  • Harinder R. Singh, MD
  • *Division of Cardiology, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Childrens Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Mich
  • After completing this article, readers should be able to:

  • Enumerate the most common causes of chest pain in pediatric patients.

  • Differentiate cardiac chest pain from that of noncardiac cause.

  • Describe the detailed evaluation of a pediatric patient who has chest pain.

  • Screen and identify patients who require a referral to a pediatric cardiologist or other specialist.

  • Explain the management of the common causes of pediatric chest pain.

  • Lung Function And Challenge Test

    The pulmonary function test was performed following American Thoracic Society guidelines by a bodyplethysmograph measuring forced vital capacity , forced expiratory volume in one second , total lung capacity and residual volume . FEV1 values <80% in combination with FEV1/FVC values <70% were considered to show bronchial obstruction . In this case, patients were given an inhalative betamimetic agent and retested for reversibility after 15min. Reversibility was attested if the FEV1 increased by 12% of the baseline value. Patients with a normal pulmonary function test continued their evaluation with bronchial challenge testing.

    Challenge testing was performed by applying the tidal breathing method with doubling concentrations of methacholine up to a concentration of 20mg·mL1, according to published guidelines . Aerosol was inhaled by quiet tidal breathing through the mouth for 2min, using a noseclip. The FEV1 was measured before and 30 and 90s after each inhalation. The challenge test was finished after a 20% fall of FEV1 compared to the baseline value or after completion of the concentration steps. A cut-off point of 16mg·mL1 was used for the provocative concentration producing a 20% fall in the FEV1 to discriminate hyperreactive from nonhyperreactive subjects .

    All patients were given an inhalative bronchodilator and hyperreactive patients were asked to perform spirometry measurements in 15-min intervals until they reached approximately their baseline FEV1 value.

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    How Do You Monitor Asthma Symptoms

    Monitoring your asthma symptoms is an essential piece of managing the disease. Your healthcare provider may have you use a peak flow meter. This device measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs. It can help your provider make adjustments to your medication. It also tells you if your symptoms are getting worse.

    Care Advice For Asthma Attack

    GERD Symptoms
  • What You Should Know About Asthma:
  • Over 10% of children have asthma.
  • Your child’s asthma can flare up at any time.
  • When you are away from your home, always take your child’s medicines with you.
  • The sooner you start treatment, the faster your child will feel better.
  • Here is some care advice that should help.
  • Asthma Quick-Relief Medicine:
  • Your child’s quick-relief medicine is albuterol or xopenex.
  • Start it at the first sign of any wheezing, shortness of breath or hard coughing.
  • Give by inhaler with a spacer or use a neb machine.
  • Repeat it every 4 hours if your child is having any asthma symptoms.
  • Never give it more often than 4 hours without talking with your child’s doctor.
  • Coughing. The best “cough med” for a child with asthma is always the asthma medicine. Caution: don’t use cough suppressants. If over 6 years old, cough drops may help a tickly cough.
  • Caution: if the inhaler hasn’t been used in over 7 days, prime it. Test spray it twice into the air before using it for treatment. Also, do this if it is new.
  • Use the medicine until your child has not wheezed or coughed for 48 hours.
  • Spacer. Always use inhalers with a spacer. It will get twice the amount of medicine into the lungs.
  • Asthma Controller Medicine:
  • Your child may have been told to use a controller drug. An example is an inhaled steroid.
  • It’s for preventing attacks and must be used daily.
  • During asthma attacks, keep giving this medicine to your child as ordered.
  • Allergy Medicine for Hay Fever:
  • Fluids – Offer More:
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    Personal Asthma Action Plan

    As part of your initial assessment, you should be encouraged to draw up a personal asthma action plan with your GP or asthma nurse.

    If you’ve been admitted to hospital because of an asthma attack, you should be offered an action plan before you go home.

    The action plan should include information about your asthma medicines, and will help you recognise when your symptoms are getting worse and what steps to take. You should also be given information about what to do if you have an asthma attack.

    Your personal asthma action plan should be reviewed with your GP or asthma nurse at least once a year, or more frequently if your symptoms are severe.

    As part of your asthma plan, you may be given a peak flow meter. This will give you another way of monitoring your asthma, rather than relying only on symptoms, so you can recognise deterioration earlier and take appropriate steps.

    Want to know more?

    Acid Reflux And Headaches

    While there are no studies showing that gastrointestinal disorders can lead to headaches, there are publications that illustrate how gastric problems, in particular acid reflux, can coincide with headaches. 

    A study involving 43,782 patients studies the possible prevalence of headaches in patients with gastrointestinal problems. Compared to diarrhea and constipation, patients with acid reflux symptoms report higher prevalence of headaches. 

    Another study involving 1,832 migraine patients were tested for heartburn and GERD symptoms. Of the group, 22% reported GERD diagnosis, 11.6% reported heartburn, and another 15.8% reported previously undiagnosed reflux symptoms. 

    These studies show that patients with acid reflux problems also tend to experience headaches, although there are no clear reasons why. Although unclear, doctors confirm that treating gastrointestinal problems also alleviates headache symptoms, which is how acid reflux-related headaches are treated. 

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