UKC

Having recently developed mild ashma I was wondering if my asthma would effect my performance at high altitude (5000 m or more). To conform I am fairly confident that my Asthma is reliant on a high pollen count.

Thanks
Hector

In reply to HGTS:

Everyone reacts slightly differently at altitude. I've been to the 6000m mark with asthma sufferers and they were ok. There was a point when one struggled to catch their breath but this was as more to do with the panic and resulting hyper-ventilating than the asthma. We managed to calm her down and she was fine.

In reply to HGTS:

Been to around 4200m and asthma was not an issue. Suspect it could even be an advantage in the way the body has to adapt to it - some strange workaround sees me with a fairly high VO2 max on a markedly below average peak flow.

In reply to HGTS:

Doesn't affect me but only been to 4800

In reply to HGTS:

I make a point of always having my blue inhaler with me at HA. I've got chronic exercise induced bronchoconstriction and have been up to 7,300m and never had a problem. For some reason sprinting for a bus at sea level gives a far worse reaction in me than prolonged exertion at altitude.

In reply to HGTS: I know its not a great altitude, bit I once went to Switzerland with an asthmatic who'd been previously airlifted to hospital from the Yorkshire dales due to an asthma attack. She loved it, her lungs were the best they'd ever been and she walked further than she ever had. Don't know the reason, could be "clean air": they used to send TB patients there...

In reply to HGTS: general view of the medics involved in Medex (Medex.org.uk) is that most people improve at altitude especially those whose trigger is airborne allergens. See their free booklet "Travel at High Altitude".

In reply to HGTS:

I cannot comment on the altitude aspect but I had childhood asthma which I mostly grew out and it seemed to be mostly allergy triggered. The only time I have had any significant problems as an adult was while ice climbing in the US and being able to quickly go from cold (usually -10C ish)air to very warm air in a short space of time(heated car at venues with easy parking) shortly after exertion. It came as quite a shock to feel that same tightness after many years. While I was there I found I absolutely could not run in the winter and then go into a warm air heated house without having my chest tighten. If you haven't had asthma for long just be aware that air temperature might be a factor for you too. A couple of people have told me over the years that they have issues with the cold alone triggering attacks especially at the start of winter.

In reply to HGTS:
Thanks so much for the replies, I was worried that my asthma might have serious effects on my performance so all of your replies have been very reassuring. As my asthma is not exercise induced hopefully it will have little effect on my performance. Also thanks for the comments about problems occurring in cold temperatures or when moving quickly from cold to hot environments, I will be more wary when doing this in the future.

In reply to HGTS:

Ultra makes some good points about temperatures and there are a lot of public-access scientific papers on the internet which describe interesting research. This is a nice one:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/811238

As asthma is a complex condition with a whole host of triggers (mine are exercise, cold air and fungal spores), how your condition changes with altitude is specific to you. But most researchers conclude that provided you're well-controlled and have access to your meds, then you shouldn't have many problems. You may find that you increase your inhaler use, both during and after exposure to altitude (and not just in the immediate aftermath, but for weeks afterwards), but this shouldn't present any obstacle.

If, like me, you're not on preventative (steroid) medication, but just a bronchodilator like salbutamol , then the exposure to cold, low oxygen and increased respiratory exertion can leave you with some residual inflammation of the airways, making other triggers more potent. It might be worth speaking to your quack on your return if you're finding this, as a bit of steroid could help.

Being a fit asthmatic at altitude is still better than being an unfit non-asthmatic.

In reply to HGTS:

some good advice there.

Make sure your asthma is well controlled for at least 3 months before you go (i.e. assuming you have ever had symptoms other than solely during exercise, take your preventer reliever whether you feel you need it or not). Good control includes not waking up with cough or wheeze at night, not needing to use your blue inhaler, and not having your asthma limit your life). Depending on your inhalers, you may need to use a spacer device to get this level of control.

Take your inhalers with you (as well as plenty of paracetamol). Your asthma may be quite good - not much pollen or house dust / house dust mite at 5000m - but the dryness of the air and the need to hyperventilate a little to keep your oxygen levels up can offset this.

Happy to discuss by PM if you want,

And have fun!

(Dr) B

In reply to HGTS:
I can only confirm what others have said. As a lifelong asthmatic I've coped perfectly well up to 4800m (not been higher). Be fit, control your asthma with meds as best suits you, and go and enjoy yourself!

In reply to HGTS:

My asthma is dependent on air quality. I wheezed a lot in Bristol and did not wheeze at all when I went to the alps or higher.

Your asthma may well not be a problem at all.

In reply to HGTS:

I've been to 5700m or so and the asthma was fine

In reply to HGTS:

There's a UIAA mountain medicine advice sheet - People with Pre-Existing Conditions Going to the Mountains - which includes a section on asthma:

http://www.theuiaa.org/medical_advice.html

In reply to HGTS:

I am an asthma sufferer, when I first went to the Himalayas in 1988 I was worried about it .My doctor prescribed inhalers that you sucked i,e they were not pressurised. After feeling great at our base camp (18,000ft) I stopped taking them and was able to be asthma free for a couple of years on returning home. Another trip to the Himalayas a couple of years later sorted me out again for several years. Sadly now I am suffering again, though living in Spain means it is not as bad as living in England, I can only assume my asthma is due to pollution!

In reply to HGTS:

Thanks so much for all the encouraging comments, I am relieved that my asthma shouldn't get in the way of any mountaineering in the future. Perhaps my asthma may even improve with altitude!