Little "Wheeze" During Workout?

cdjs77

I recently started noticing I get a weird little wheeze when I do things like jumping jacks and crunches. It's not a constant wheeze, but just a little one that seems to get pushed out when I crunch or land after jumping (almost as if the impact is pushing a little puff of air out). It's a very odd feeling, but not painful or anything. Someone suggested it might be asthma, but it's not constant and I don't really have any other symptoms (other than the usual lack of breath from a tough workout). I'm wondering if anyone else has this and what it might be?

Note: I am going to the doctor, but my appointment isn't for a while so I just wanted to check to see if anyone else had a similar problem or if it might be something serious I should watch out for until then.

cdjs77

Bump?

bumblebums

Could be nothing more than a forced exhalation through slightly adducted vocal folds. Have you ever heard of ujjayi breath (in yoga)? If you want to avoid it, just focus on making sure your glottis is fully open when you jump, which is hard to do because we instinctively like to hold our breath during exertion.

nobleammonite

I get this too! It happens very rarely for me and it's exactly like you describe - air being pushed out of your lungs, not painful but WEIRD. I would be worried and think asthma if it happened for me during running or other cardio, but it's usually during a jumping or twisting move and it never prevents me from breathing normally. I'll be curious to know if your doctor has any answers for you.

When I was like 14 I had a doctor tell me I had asthma and needed an inhaler based solely on my answer to the question "Do you have a hard time catching your breath after running?" My answer, of course, was yes, but I ran about as often as I scaled mountains, which is to say NEVER. So being out of breath was not really unusual... I swear she didn't even listen to my lungs that visit. I never filled the prescription for the inhaler and 20+ years later I haven't died of an asthma attack, so...

JankaLee

Best to let the doctor speculate. I wheezed all the time while working out and even after losing 50 lbs it didn't get any easier. Turns out I needed an inhaler. So, now when I work out I'm still out of breath and winded but recovery takes far less time. And, I'm not constantly coughing or trying to clear my throat which is nice because I imagine that was distracting for others around me

bumblebums

I've had exercise asthma attacks a couple of times, and it was frightening and quite unlike the usual "hard to catch your breath after a run" experience. For about 5 minutes, I was bent over, wheezing like Darth Vader and unable to take anything but the shallowest of breaths. Like someone took my pharynx and stuffed a bunch of cotton balls in it. I think if you have asthma, you would know it.

Still, I guess if you are worried, going to the doctor is not a bad idea. I was just pointing out that the slight wheezes during exertion are not necessarily pathological or unusual (especially if you are not used to physical exertion).

glovepuppet

The symptoms of asthma can range from mild to severe. When asthma symptoms get significantly worse, it is known as an asthma attack.

The symptoms of asthma include:

•feeling breathless (you may gasp for breath)
•a tight chest, like a band tightening around it
•wheezing, which makes a whistling sound when you breathe
•coughing, particularly at night and early morning
•attacks triggered by exercise, exposure to allergens and other triggers
You may experience one or more of these symptoms. Symptoms that are worse during the night or with exercise can mean your asthma is getting worse or is poorly controlled. Talk to your doctor or asthma nurse about this.

^^from the nhs site.
i'll add that it's typically harder to exhale than inhale.

cdjs77

Thanks bumblebums! It does actually feel quite like a forced ujjayi breath, so what you said could be it. I'll try to pay more attention to my breathing when I do certain workouts. My doctors appointment is actually a regular checkup, not specifically for this problem, so I figured I'd check to see if was actually worth mentioning when I go. The only reason someone originally suggested asthma to me was because I have a family history of it, but as it is recent, not constant and I don't have any of the other symptoms, I didn't think it was.

Nobleammonite: I think we are definitely talking about the same thing, and it is a really weird feeling. I'll mention it to my doctor just to see what she says but I think bumblebums simple explanation might be all it is.

glovepuppet

mild asthma typically isn't constant.

conniedj

Could just be an exercise induced broncho spasm.....which is not asthma. It can be an allergen in the air (dust, pollen, etc.). I have gotten them periodically since my 20's. I used to have an inhaler....figured out my trigger was dust, now I just use a homeopathic when i get one ( it's been about 6 months!).

lilu19

So what was it?

TavistockToad

lilu19 wrote: »

So what was it?

OP hasn't been around since August, so you'll never know...

lilu19

Sigh. My husband’s been having this wheeze,no other symptoms, heart good, pulmonary capacity good... it sounds like his heart beat wheezes. So i was hoping for an idea. We will see a pulmonologist...