Asthma and Open Water Swimming

Hi! I'm new here and have recently become interested in doing some open water swims. Unfortunately, the local masters team doesn't work for my schedule, so I am going at it alone. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to handle asthma when out in the open water. Even though my asthma is much better than when i started swimming again 6 weeks ago (i would literally be getting out of the water wheezing wiht blue lips), I still am concerned. The thought of exercising and being so far away from my inhaler frightens me. Does anyone have suggestions on how i can carry and/or take my inhaler while in deep water? Thanks alot! Nicole If you were swimming with blue lips, you should have gone to the ER. Do you know what your peak flow was at that time? Also, your statement that you are afraid of being far away from your inhaler truly suggests that you aren't in control, or at least, you don't feel as if you are in control. Therefore, I would suggest you not attempt any open water swims yet. You probably should never take your inhaler into deep water. The chances of loosing it, even if it is securly contained, are way too high. Loosing your inhaler in the middle of a swim will ony increase your anxiety. I have frequently been told that asthmatics are the second or third major cause of ozone destruction. I only use Advair inhaler. The new powder inhalers are so expensive, though. I take all of my bronchios through a nebulizer. Supposedly, the polution & resource depreciation caused by the use of the electrical nebulizer is suppose to be far less than the polution & resource depreciation of one puff on an inhaler.

Hi! I'm new here and have recently become interested in doing some open water swims. Unfortunately, the local masters team doesn't work for my schedule, so I am going at it alone. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to handle asthma when out in the open water. Even though my asthma is much better than when i started swimming again 6 weeks ago (i would literally be getting out of the water wheezing wiht blue lips), I still am concerned. The thought of exercising and being so far away from my inhaler frightens me. Does anyone have suggestions on how i can carry and/or take my inhaler while in deep water? Thanks alot! Nicole If you were swimming with blue lips, you should have gone to the ER. Do you know what your peak flow was at that time? Also, your statement that you are afraid of being far away from your inhaler truly suggests that you aren't in control, or at least, you don't feel as if you are in control. Therefore, I would suggest you not attempt any open water swims yet. You probably should never take your inhaler into deep water. The chances of loosing it, even if it is securly contained, are way too high. Loosing your inhaler in the middle of a swim will ony increase your anxiety. I have frequently been told that asthmatics are the second or third major cause of ozone destruction. I only use Advair inhaler. The new powder inhalers are so expensive, though. I take all of my bronchios through a nebulizer. Supposedly, the polution & resource depreciation caused by the use of the electrical nebulizer is suppose to be far less than the polution & resource depreciation of one puff on an inhaler.