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runners cough

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Q: Could I really have a cough from running?
I started running a month and a half ago. I run about 2.4 miles almost every day. About a week and a half ago I decided it was easier to run through my mouth and not my rose. All of the sudden I got a really deep cough and it’s rattely. I’ve been coughing up phlem and now I think I dislocated a rib (I’ve done that before with a bad cough).

Is this common in runners? It’s almost been 2 weeks.

A: I always have a really bad cough for a couple hours after running as well, but it usually goes AWAY after two weeks; that’s not when it develops (for me). What I found worked was doing interval training, so running fast for a while, then walking or lightly jogging for a third the time you spent going fast. Also, you should develop a breathing rhythm and keep VERY well hydrated.

Q: Beginner runner with congested cough?
Recently I began a running program to help me get into shape and to lose about 30 pounds, since I am overweight. I have not run for probably 11 years and I am horribly out of shape. I am 26, so I have not run since I was in high school. I have been jogging for 1/4 mile every 3 days or so. While I am running, I quickly feel out of breathe, develop some chest pain and begin to wheeze a little bit and then I develop a congested cough that drags on for at least 48 hours. I do not cough anything up, although it feels like I should.

Additional Information:
After my last run, I had a bad metallic taste in my mouth and I had dry heaves as well. I am not a smoker and as far as I know, I do not have asthma. Both of my sisters do have asthma (diagnosed as teens). The weather here has been about 40 degrees and raining. I do have environmental allergies and sinus drainage problems. I take Allegra for those problems. I do occasionally have bouts of bronchitis, usually following a cold and sinus infection.

Any thoughts on what might be causing this?

A: A good thing for you to do is get a juicer if you can get one. Start every morning juicing celery, ginger and cucumbers and you can throw in some fruit if you want or you can just take that and mix it with some juice and drink it. I would also take some vitamin C, E & B-complex.

You might need to cut back on the foods you eating. I would guess your eating meats and cheeses. So cut those out of your diet as much as possible. I know you’re not going to do it right away but try to work on it. But the juicing is really going to help. Especially the ginger. It will brake up the cold in your chest.

Q: What is runner’s cough? What casuses it?

A: I used to get that but only in extreme weather, i.e; really hot, but more so really cold. I was a distance runner for ten years before I had too many knee injuries.

It all depends on the symptoms.

Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is a bronchospasm or tightness in the chest caused by exercise and can be triggered by sudden changes in temperature (hot, humid, cold) or particles (pollen, smoke) in the air. See your doctor, who can prescribe an inhaler or bronchodilator to relax the airways.

Check out this page to see for more info. If still unsure, see your doctor…

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,5033,s6-78-79-0-6901,00.html

Q: What is the difference between a jet ski and a wave runner?
I was telling my mom that we just got back from riding the jet skis and my grandma interrupted me by coughing and saying “WAVE RUNNERS”

A: jet ski = stand up on
wave runner = sit on

Q: Gatorade hard candy/drops or other non Gel running aid?
I could have sworn that Gatorade used to make cough drops for runners. Is there a product out their that will replace electrolytes and carbs while running.

Gells are nasty. I used Vitamin C drops while I run to give me a supply of sugar and keep my mouth moist.

is there a hard candy that is designed for a runner? Thanks.

A: A company similar to GU, called Cliff Shots, makes these gummy blobs called “Shot Blocks” which are easy to eat and taste pretty good. They are mainly for energy, but they make one flavor, “Margarita” that has extra salts and electrolytes built in, they also taste pretty nice and go down easy.

I recommend them. … as far as keeping your mouth moist, be careful with the candies, because they aren’t fixing the problem. If your mouth gets that dry, there’s a good chance you’re dehydrated, make sure you drink enough, remember, “by the time you FEEL thirsty, it’s too late” … hydrate plenty before a run, and keep downing that fluid as you go.

Worse comes to worse, on a very long run, if I’m not processing water fast enough, or I feel bloated, I slip a piece of rock salt between my cheek and gum, and suck on that. Works great and it’s WAY cheap, you can buy the stuff as “ice cream salt” in any grocery story, about 75 cents for a box that’s so big you’ll never, ever run out.

Q: er…umm..cough.. Gerrard and Lampard world class players ?
Sorry , they are nowhere near it. Iniesta, Xavi, Kaka, Messi, Ronaldinho are genuinely world class. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are merely highly overpaid athletes at the peak of physical fitness- just runners in fact. They will be sorted out for the ordinary players they are in South Africa.

A: We will see won’t we.

My opinion… they are not there yet , but this World Cup will bring it out of both of them.

We obviously need a set definition of ” World Class”

Q: What is a good gift to get a cross country runner?
My brother is really into cross country running. What’s a good gift to get him? Something winter related might be good. He’s had friends that were coughing up blood (!!!) after running in the Chicago winters. Anyone know of any good brands of face masks, etc? Or just anything else a cross country runner might need/enjoy…

A: A cross country runner should have Sports Slick, Body Glide, a Garmin 301 Forerunner, dry wicking clothes, compression shorts, a running beanie and gloves, Cytomax, Gu and a gift certificate to a GOOD running store. (Not Footlocker, but a SPECIALTY running store where they sell shoes on fit, needs of a runner – stability, pronation, etc., not on trend.) Don’t buy cotton shirts to run in – they feel like sandpaper after about 12 miles and can cut and chafe, believe it or not. The runner’s journal which is a desk calendar/datebook is also a good gift. I’ve personally just had so much Gu at my last marathon, I get nauseous looking at the package, but it is a necessary evil. A subscription to Runners World magazine might also be good.

Q: Chronic cough for over 2 months. Could it be Asthma?
I can’t remember exactly when it started, but I want to say it started in March on a cold evening when I went running at a park with my boyfriend. I am not normally an outdoor runner. About 5 minutes into the run, my bronchial tubes were on fire and I was having seriously difficulty breathing and I could barely speak.

I am 28 years old and have never been tested for Asthma before. I grew up in a household full of chain smokers but tried to avoid inhaling the 2nd hand smoke as much as possible. I do not smoke and I don’t drink much at all unless I’m with friends and that’s like a glass of wine if that. I also have Acid Reflux disease. The cough is more prominent at night when I get home from work and am winding down from the busy day. When I work out at the gym I hardly cough at all, but I do experience shortness of breath from time to time. Could I have experienced an Asthma attack from that run back in March and the cough is just a continuous factor from that? Has anyone heard of that? Sorry for the novel. I just was wondering if it’s worth the money to visit the doctor about this. I also am not really coughing anything up, but I do get phlegmy throughout the day and I cough mostly when I go to bed. We also have 2 cats, so it could be allergy related too. Who knows.

A: GERD is a realistically possible source of your cough. But if reflux is behind the cough, you’re not managing yours. During an asthma attack, there is difficulty inhaling along with the classic inspiratory wheezing due to bronchial inflammation and constriction. Although asthma is fundamentally an allergic condition, it can also be triggered by such things as exercise, strong emotion and cold temperatures. Chronic cough can be caused by things other than GERD and asthma. You can’t be diagnosed online for whatever took place 2 months ago. You can’t be diagnosed online period. It is worth the money to get this evaluated, diagnosed and under control before it escalates into something more unpleasant or, possibly, more serious. It’s worth it unless you’d rather put up with intermittent episodes of shortness of breath and a chronic cough.

Q: Prolonged cough after the flu?
I’m an otherwise healthy 16-year-old girl, but somewhere around 6 months ago I got a bad case of the flu. It lasted through the week and then went away, but the constant coughing didn’t. I waited about 3 weeks before seeing the doctor, who said I still had the flu, and to give it time. After 3 more weeks I went to see another different doctor, who gave me antibiotics and cough syrup. The syrup made the cough a bit lighter, but it persisted, and the antibiotics did nothing. The cough was dry for a while, but after around 3 months it turned a bit wet, and there are times when I’m very short of breath, especially when I walk now (and I’m usually a rather good runner, but now I can’t even do that). I have a bit of trouble breathing, but no wheezing at all. I get headaches quite a bit too, and my throat has a habit of feeling a bit constricted as well. It’s been 6-7 months, and I’d like to find a solution as soon as possible. Thanks.

A: Sounds like you need a trip to a pulmonologist or cardiologist. Those symptoms are too serious to just blow off. Call a pulmonologist and see if they require a referral. Or a cardiologist. But do something. Please. This is nothing to fool around with especially at your age. Oh yeah get your parents involved. Sorry to leave them out of the equation. I was just concerned for you.
God bless and help you through this.

Q: Lung problems after whooping cough?
2 years ago I had a sever case of whooping cough over a period of nine and a half months and was hospitalised several times because of it.
Last year it came back, but only for 3-4 months and only 1 hospitalisation.
I used to be a long distance and cross country runner and had a lot of stamina, now I can’t even walk up a hill without feeling asthmatic and breathless. I have a permanent cough though not like the cough I had during the illness. I also have permanent mucus from my lungs. I have had a few asthma attacks because of sports and breathing problems due to increased exercise.
I’m worried that my lungs are damaged, though of course I’ll not be able to be sure of the extent of it until I see a doctor.
Is permanent damage possible from Whooping cough? Any other possible outcomes from it? Will I be able to run normally again after this? I am only a 15 year old girl so I have a lot of running to still do. I do have several autoimmune diseases so I’m more prone to these sort of things.
Thank you.

A: Occasionally you could have lung problems it depends if you have asthma or any kind of allergies. But it could be because you are an athlete I understand I have asthma and I’m an athlete, but in your case I would take a break for a little while. If that doesn’t help I would see a doctor right away.

Q: Whenever I had a cold when I was a child, I would cough until I’d puke…so my question is?
From since I can remember till I was 14-15ish whenever I had a cold I would cough into the night for hours, I would sweat and my face would get red, I wouldn’t sleep i’d just cough deep in my throat, really hard and really loud. I would sometimes cough until I’d puke because of a weird gag reflex. It wasn’t the usual cold symptom it was just me, my mom would bring me medicine in the middle of the night cause I’d be keeping everybody up. I used to be an exceptional runner but since middle school I weeze when I run. I wonder if the coughing scarred my lungs? Have you ever heard of such a thing?
IT ALSO ONLY HAPPENED AT NIGHT.

A: Sounds like you may have asthma. I would definitely make an appointment with my family doctor if I were you and get a breathing test.

Q: how many runners……?
Okay, this is a little contradictive, but how many of you runners are smokers? I know it sounds crazy, but there are some, and I just wanted to know how many…
I’m a smoker. I’ve been smoking for 3 years..cant kick the habit just yet, it’s harder than I thought. I smoke a half a pack a day..but I’ve been running for 10 years..I’m not a sprinter, but a distance runner. I run at a a medium pace, and I beleive that it’s all a mind game with the breathing..I don’t ever run out of breath, (i only breathe in and out of my mouth) and when I am done with my run, I don’t exactly seem like I’m coughing up a lung.. Although running does help me not smoke as much for the rest of the day because once I breathe in all that fresh air, I really don’t want to ruin it with a cigarette. I know that if I quit, I would probably be able to run faster, but I’m actually satisfied with my pace, and you probably wouldnt even know that I was a smoker unless I said something…so I’m just curious..how many of you smoke? How much do you smoke? and do you believe it affects your running ability??

A: I personally don’t smoke, but my brother does. He’s really active. He surfs and hikes all the time out in California. He just started to run as well. He smokes about 3 packs a week.

I’m going to guess it has the damper your cardiovascular capacity. Your lungs just aren’t going to be working as efficiently as a non-smoker.

You and my bro can certainly get out there and perform well, but probably not as well as if you weren’t smoking at all…

Q: Persistant Congestion/Cough…?
Just over 4 weeks ago, I had a high fever with congestion and headaches. The fever lasted for 2 days, but the cough has been going since then. I can feel that I am congested, and that its dripping down my throat. Thats also the reason for the cough. I’ve take two rounds of antibiotics, along with several home remedies. It did get alittle better in the past week, but it doesn’t feel like it is going away any time soon. I don’t believe it is allergies, I even tried taking something for allergies and it didn’t go away.
I’m a runner and this is really getting frustrating. Does anyone have any idea what this could be?
Also, I’m not tired or anything. I don’t feel sick. Its just this annoying cough that keeps me from doing anything.

A: Have you tried a saline nasal sinus rinse? They sell the kits at pharmacies. This is the first thing that will help. Otherwise there is always Sudafed.

Q: Been sick for over a month now. Not getting any better (cough stuffy runny nose, phlem)?
Hi, i am 14 and ive been sick for over a month now. I have a bad cough and i often cough up phlem. My nose is really runny and i go through tons of tissues each day. I am a runner and i havent been able to run for a month because of it. Im getting out of shape and track season starts in 3 days. I need to get better. Ive been taking Medicing and prescription medicine for the whole time ive been sick. i get plenty of rest and fluids…. I need to get better soon, Ive worked so hard for track. Please help.. Ive seen the doctor but the medicine he gave me is not helping at all. I havent been getting better ever since i got sick. Please help =(

A: perhaps after so long your issue is not illness but allergy. Have you seen an allergist? Perhaps you should.

Q: My legs are soar and I have a cross country meet tomorrow, what should I do?
Hi. In off-season today we did backpedals, so my legs are soar. I know that I am not the only one as there are people telling me the same thing. I am the fastest runner at cross country, but I have no idea what to do.I stretch every minute, but my legs can barely move. Any advice on how to help my legs would be greatly appreciated. I also have a cough, which makes it hard to breath when I run. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

A: Soak in the bathtub with hot water (as hot as you can stand it) with some Epsom salts. They help with soreness. If you soak them in hot water, alternate that with something cold when you wake up tomorrow as it will help you. Also for your cough, try getting some Thera-Flu packets/soothing inhalants like Chamomile or Lemongrass as well. Good luck in your meet tomorrow and sorry your legs hurt! Hope that helps you.

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