asthma and skiing. Are they enemies?

Hi everyone

I'm going skiing for the first time next april, and my other half suffers from asthma. Will this be a problem for her, or as long as she's fit and with her asthma under control, she will be alright?

Thanks

David

Best to seek specific advice from your (other half's) doctor.

From experience, neither my son (very mildly asthmatic occasionally) nor my brother (less mild) have had any problems skiing.

I know some people can have an attack triggered by cold air but the air is (usually) cleaner in the mountains so dust/pollution reactions are unlikely.

Obviously carry the puffer at all times just in case; don't ski in blizzards or howling gales, and take it easy at first to see how you get on?

As you're going in April the weather shouldn't be too extreme and, with a bit of luck, she may even find that skiing / mountain air has a therapeutic affect.

But do check with doc first.

Cheers,

I would imagine most peoples athsma is quite individual, and you cant catagorise. However, Mrs H suffers with athsma and uses both the purple, brown and blue inhalers. What we have found when going on holiday is that as soon as we leave the UK, she stops getting short of breath and doesnt need to use an inhaler until within an hour of stepping off the plane back in the UK. The fresh mountain air seems to do her the world of good. This suggests to me that the athsma is linked to some kind of allergy to things specific to the UK - certain kinds of grasses, trees, etc.
Hopefully your Mrs will find something similar, unless she simply has weak lungs, in which case she should be fine provided she carrier the inhaler at all times, and stops skiing as soon as she feels breathless.

Good luck

I would go along with that. I dont have asthma but always about December time, get either bronchitis, pleursy, or bad chest infection. (hazzards of being a pharmacist, I always catch it from customers). Always end up with hacking cough and short of breath, within Hours of the good old mountain air and sauna,s its gone. Get back home and within a day back to coughing for the next couple of weeks.

My OH uses 2 different types of inhaler daily. After a week in the mountains, he finds he needs neither. I hope your OH gets on as well. Ditto what admin said, visit the GP before going.

Obviously, you should really consult your doctor if you are worried.

However, I can tell you that my then 6 year old was hospitalised with an asthma attack a few days before our ski trip two years ago. He was released on the Thursday before we flew out on Saturday! The docs said it was ok for him to travel but to watch him and give him the ventalin inhaler a few times each day. As it happened, he was absolutely fine and had a great week skiing every day with no problems . If anything, the dry clean mountain air seemed to help.

Naturally, his 4 year old sister did not like being upstaged and came down with tonsilitis on the trip - I lost a full day of skiing minding her .

One more reason why Britain is pooh, and a tick in the "moving abroad" box

I agree with the above