I have terrible lungs!

[winterbalto]

My whole life I have never been able to run or do anything that requires lots of oxygen for a long time :( I remember doing the mile run in high school and always having to walk it :( I seriously just could not jog or run the whole thing. Well, now in horseback riding this is becoming a problem. My lessons are an hour long or longer and we trot or canter for a long time. I have gotten much better at keeping my energy but sometimes I get so out of breath I think I might fall off from exhaustion! I also do this deep cough thing and get dry heaves. This one time when I just stopped cantering I stopped my horse and literally thought I was going to puke. But itstead it was like my whole body went into a heave spasm :eek: but nothing came out. Thank god.

Anyways, I have no idea what my problem is. I think when I was a kid I was told that I had asthma but I really hope I don't. It does feel like it though when at the end of doing something hard I'm breathing so hard and fast and feel like i'm seriously out of air. But after a few minutes it calms down. Plus, I notice that the other students are not as worn out so I know there's something wrong with me.

Does anyone know of a way to strengthen my lungs? Plus, does anyone know if this may be asthma?

~Nicole

[Trewsers]

Get yourself off to the doctors!!!!!!!!!!! Don't put it off - you may or may not have asthma - it might just be that you're not as fit as you thought you were! Either way, get yourself checked out. ASAP!

[makebelieve]

It does sound a lot like asthma.

You should go to the doctors, and possibly get a puffer for it.

Good luck! :(

[notpoodle]

have it checked out. i suffer from a mysterious out-of-breathness myself, sometimes to the point where i think i wont be able to breathe at all :(

went to the doctors, theyre baffled, as my breathing sounds okay to them, chest x-ray came back fine, no allergies etc.

got some puffers now which helps a little.

doctors say its probably to do with stress :(

julia
x

[dancing-horse]

Go to the doctor! It sounds alot like you have serious asthma and you should go to the docotor immediatley. It's very dangerous for you to be doing this without consulting a doctor, you may have an attack or something. The doctor will probably reccomend an inhaler, so you'll still be able to ride and stuff defintely :))), but do not put it off any longer than you have. Don't ride or do anything strenous until you see a doctor. Also ask your trainer if you can take little breask every few minutes and explain why. Good luck.

[horseygal90]

Echo the others - Get yourself off to the doctor, tell them what you've just put, and they'll *hopefully* sort you out. Better to be safe than sorry anyway. ;)

[jUmPingIsLifE]

I have asthma and quite often when im doing a lot of physical activity i will start to do a very dry hacking cough and then i will have problems catching my breath. 2 puffs from an inhaler and a short break and im right back in it.

this winter it got pretty bad, perhaps from the really cold-warm REALLY cold back and forths but the docter ended up wanting me take home one of those breathing treatment things (nebulizer or something like that?)

its really not that bad, i get through it fine. though mine is pretty mild i actually find that if i keep myself in shape i am better off. i sprained my ankle bad and stoped my daily runs for a while, even when i started doing things again I did take it easy and i seemed worse when i did physical activity. now i am back to running about 3 miles and dont have to much of a problem, but when i was bringing myself back into running i would get bad and need the inhaler. dont need it as much now though.

[Bay Mare]

Definitely get yourself checked out BUT also it could be that you hold your breath when you're riding!

I hold my breath when I'm concentrating, I get to the end of jumping a course of jumps and collapse at the end breathing out a whole lungful of air which can then make me cough! I used to have terrible trouble doing rising trot, I would get incredibly breathless until my instructor pointed out that I WASN'T actually breathing and that it may be helpful if I did! :eek: :rolleyes:

[Roseanne]

As everyone says, get yourself checked out. I have asthma which affects me at various times, athough it is fairly mild. I always have an inhaler with me, and if I feel I'm going to have a problem, a couple of puffs and I'm fine.

Deep breathing is also very helpful if you begin to feel any tightness - it has a calming effect, but seriously, you do need to see a doctor, if only for reassurance. If you do have asthma, it won't stop you exercising or, as perhaps you are afraid of, riding.

Good Luck

Roseanne

Good

[dancing-horse]

Hmmmm.....*Bay Mare* has a really good point. I also tend to occasioanlly hold my breath when I ride, espeically when there are bunches of things I need to concentrate on (heels down, toes in, thighs tight, sit back and don't bounce around when you canter ) so all those things tend to get kind of stressful and you forget to do the more important things and (like breathing). Do some breathing exerces like yoga or something and ask you trainer if she see's you holding your breath.