Bronchospasm/Laryngospasm?

i believe the chlorine can cause bronchospasm. I doubt you have any laryngospasm unless you are sucking in major amounts of water and near-drowning :drown:

Hi, Did your allergist or pulmonologist test you specifically for exercise-induced asthma? Do your symptoms occur any other time aside from when you exercise? Do you have other symptoms like coughing, chest tightness, etc? For some people, their PFT is normal, except when they exercise. In that case your doctor might suspect exercise-induced asthma and would order a PFT while you exercise. That way he or she can tell whether the exercising causes any bronchoconstriction. Maybe that's what your doctor did...I can't tell from your post. I've never experienced a laryngospasm, but if you have questions about asthma, fire away. Good luck. I hope you find out soon what's going on :)

there is a medical condition known as exercise-induced asthma

SwimmerGirl: Thanks for the suggestion. If all pulmonary and chest x-rays turn out negative as I suspect I will try to have a PFT test after 75 yrds of freestyle which really triggers the spasm.

Kurt: In the literature there is a laryngospasm condition triggered by a number of conditions other than drowning. It may be treated with botox. If my pulmonologist is stumped then I will try a laryngologist.

Sounds scary putting botox near your airway; maybe they can put the extra near your troubled wrinkled areas. Good luck.:)

Bronchospasm and laryngospasm are two completely different things, and the difference between the two is clear. With laryngospasm, you primarily have trouble inhaling (stridor). With bronchospasm, you primarily have trouble exhaling (wheezing), although if severe enough you may have wheezing on both expiration and inspiration. Also, are you coughing? If it is exercise induced asthma, there will usually be some coughing. Some people will experience something called vocal cord dysfunction. Basically the vocal cords close when they should open and vice versa. It's often mistaken as an asthma attack and doesn't respond to Albuterol (rescue inhaler). If you swallow water or are somewhat nervous in the water this can happen and can be alleviated by learning to relax. Exercise induced asthma with no other signs of asthma whatsoever is pretty rare. The reason exercise induced asthma occurs is because while exercising we breathe cooler, unhumidified air through our mouths (rather than the nose) which irritates lungs that have inflammatory potential. These same lungs would also be susceptible to asthma attacks from other irritants, allergens, and viruses. In swimming you would actually be getting reasonably humidified air, but the biproduct of chlorine and water can be a lung irritant and you would be inhaling a lot of it. You might want to simply try taking 2-4 puffs of Albuterol 15 minutes prior to your workout and see if it helps. If not, then you might be experiencing vocal cord dysfunction. Or you would need to be checked thoroughly to make sure your heart is fine.

Thanks Taukry: I am now diagnosed with EIB but still suspect laryngospasm. My condition began in ocean swimming then after the ocean water dropped below 61 degrees I transfer to the pool with the same problem. I am just now on one night puff and one morning puff of cortisone inhailers with 2 puffs of albuteral prior to swimming. How long will it take to resume normal (80 - 100 lap) workout?