Cyclocross - Ouch, my lungs

So the temps have been dropping and this was my first weekend in 5 C weather. I sound like a wheezy old geezer.

Any suggestions for bringing my lungs back to normal? I'm assuming this just happens from the cold and will go away eventually but didn't know if I could do anything that would help.

I saw this product suggested in the winter cycling forum: http://www.talusoutdoortech.com/

I have no personal experience with these but it does look intriguing.

I do have a balaclava but think it might interfere with breathing. After thinking for a while, I think this happened to me last year as my lungs adjusted to the below freezing temps....just will suffer it out I guess.

Exercise induced asthma is aggravated by cold air. This would be worth checking if it gets worse or starts happening in warmer air. Asthma tends to reinforce itself and you want to get on it before it does. Wheezing does not sound like something that should be happening. If you aren't sounding like the other guys, check it.

I have excercise induced asthma, and wheezing is a common symptom. I also tend to get it more in the cold.

Is the wheezing accompanied by shortness of breath? How long does it last?
If it's persistent, I'd check with a doctor. There are prescriptions out there that you can take to prevent asthma almost completely.

It was really bad after my first race on Saturday. Coughing with the wheezing mostly all day. There was slight shortness of breath after coughing but it went away pretty quickly. Sunday it wasn't as bad though I still had the cough. I didn't have any issue racing again.

I haven't had this happen in warmer temps but now that I know it can be something, I'll be sure to record it to see if any patterns emerge. Thanks for the help everyone.

Exercise induced asthma is aggravated by cold air. This would be worth checking if it gets worse or starts happening in warmer air. Asthma tends to reinforce itself and you want to get on it before it does. Wheezing does not sound like something that should be happening. If you aren't sounding like the other guys, check it.

Any suggestions here? My doctor doesn't quite understand that I'm not just going for a bike ride, and agrees that I ahve EIA. The fast acting inhaler helps a little, but after I finish a race, I will cough for 48 hours.

Althhough all exercise is extremely beneficial, the medical community generally agrees that intense exercise in frigid air is not healthy for the lungs. This is true whether one has asthma or not. For cyclists who live in cold regions during the frigid months, an indoor trainer is highly recommended. Studies have shown the a good quality indoor Bicycle trainer is just as beneficial as an outdoor workout, without the negative effects of cold weather damage on the body, especially lungs. Additionally, constant lung irritation from intense, prolonged cold air breathing can cause chronic and permamanent lung damage.

An indoor trainer for extreme cold weather should be the proper solution. Allow your lungs to heal so you can enjoy next summer's warm weather cycling at a normal, healthy physical capacity.

I'd consider a change of doctors, if he doesn't understand these issues, symptoms, and cannot treat or advise.

Are you a doctor?

Huck, the fast acting inhaler, I'm guessing you've got albuterol or a combi-vent, is best used about 25 minutes before you start warming up. One inhalation, wait a full minute or even a little more and then another. Do your warm up and you'll be good. I usually do another inhalation or two about 15 minutes before the race if there's a long gap between warm up and race. For me a dose is good for about 2 hours.

An inhaled corticosteroid will help a lot of people, but leaves me very susceptible to upper respiratory infections so I usually avoid it. I get sick in winter enough already.

The damaging effects of aerobic exercise in bad weather are pretty well documented. Cross country skiers have really terrible lungs by the time they get old.

Exercise induced asthma is aggravated by cold air. This would be worth checking if it gets worse or starts happening in warmer air. Asthma tends to reinforce itself and you want to get on it before it does. Wheezing does not sound like something that should be happening. If you aren't sounding like the other guys, check it.
exercise induced asthma is much more rare than is let on. a lot of people think they have it or are even told they might have it but usually its an issue with acclimating to the increased oxygen debt that causes what seems like wheezing. as far as cold air goes, a balaclava is a great thing to wear when you are exercising in frigid weather.

A strong espresso before or after can help considerably. It's a broncho-dilator.

Hot tea or coffee before/ after your race, (the warmth and caffeine really helps me)
find out if you have any allergies that are making it worse (i.e. Dust, Food/Dairy, Mold)
Stay away from cold/ iced drinks.
If you don't want a balaclava, maybe try something that just covers your nose and neck so you can pull it down easily if you overheat.