After ride cough
 

After I ride when the air is dry, winter, early spring, I have a dry cough for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. This is also accompanied by discomfort in the chest/lung area. Has anyone else experienced this and what did you do about it? Thanks.

I get that sometimes, though it started before I started riding, and isn't necessarily tied to exertion. The best guess I've encountered for mine is that it's some weird sort of asthma. I have an albuterol inhaler that I'll use sometimes if it's particularly bad.

That said, it seems to have gotten better overall with me commuting through the cold every day. I only have a problem now if I'm really huffing and puffing.

I used to get a cough sometimes when I ran outside in the cold....mostly when I was younger and didn't really get a lot of exercise and didn't acclimate myself to the temperature at all.

I haven't had it in years now though. I don't know what it was....?

If it feels like there's something loose in your chest, it could be bronchitis. I get it most winters...also brought on by high exertion--skate skiing in my case. If bad enough, the doc prescribes a Z-pack.

Get tested for Exercise Induced Asthma. Your GP should send you to a heart and lung specialist who will send you for lung tests ... and then you'll know one way or the other.

I did ... and I have EIA ... and I had a nice chat with the specialist and got the type of inhaler that works for my particular situation.

It could be exercise-induced asthma.

I had a similar experience a number of years ago which manifested itself more severely this winter after getting the 'flu.

There are relatively simple tests that will confirm the diagnosis (lung function test...). If you do have asthma, there are a number of drugs that can make your exercise routines much more bearable.

I get that when I exercise in the cold; cough sniffles and weird chest feeling when inhaling really deeply. It always goes away and does not affect my performance so I simply assumed it was my body's reaction to sucking in so much cold air.

This has been my experience too. I would add that the "cold symptoms" seem to be worse at the start of the cold weather season, and as my body has adjusted to the cold weather the cold symptoms have all but disappeared.

I also find that when Iam riding hard it tends to be worse and can usually last a half hour after my commute. Covering my mouth and nose area with beleclava has helped me reduce this unpleasantness.

I have the same symptoms, and worse in cold weather... it's EIA for me. Albuterol inhaler takes care of it.

So... just curious. Do you get the symptoms if the weather is warmer? If no, what's the threshold temperature?

Funny you should post this now... I just read an article in Momentum magazine about this very thing. I think you'll find it interesting. It's available online for free, but I like to buy the print version - they use at least some of the funds to promote bike commuting. Pretty nice magazine.

http://www.momentumplanet.com/advent...g-make-me-sick

I cover my mouth with a balaclava whenever the temperature dips below -10 C or so. Otherwise I get a cough, and feel like my lungs are full of junk--the feeling can last up to a day.

Go to the store and pick up some Extra Strength Mucinex. I take two every day and it really helps. Asthma creates a lot of extra mucus which can sometimes be very hard to get out of your system. You get the dry coughs that aren't productive.

The mucinex will loosen all of that up and make coughs very productive. I have very bad asthma and taking mucinex has made a huge difference, especially in the winter climate.

You don't need a prescription by the way.

Cough like this is usually a sign of bronchospasm or airway inflammation and not an infectious etiology. There are numerous triggers for bronchospasm or reactive airways which may vary from person to person- cold air is one of them. The combination of cold air during exercise may be worse than either one alone.Cold air is also dryer (holds less humidity) than warm air, and that can be a trigger, too. Albuterol or an inhaled steroid like flovent may help, but you need to see a pulmonologist to get tested and get a prescription for either one. Mucinex will not help- the problem is not the airway secretions. You may experience some relief breathing through something that warms and humidifies the air like a mask or balaclava. (yes, I am a physician)

I get that from time to time, usually when I gulp down too much air below zero f. I've always figured it was some kind of lung frostbite.

I had a weak cough last Sunday after my epic ride but I recovered easily

Yeah, I actually have more of a cough with some mucus for about 30 mins after the ride.

Ive had this problem for a few years now. The cough is so bad i nearly throw up and can hardly get my breath. Ive had the Mannitol test and it showed a decrease of about 7%. So negative for EIA. I had another tredmill test for EIA but that also came up negative. BUT i still get the horrible cough. It seems to me i need to be tested after a time trial or just a short hill climb as these seem to trigger it(so anything that is really topend stuff). Ive tried beclomethasone combined with salbutamol but this didnt help. Ive also tried Oxis turbohaler and that didnt work either. They suspected reflux was maybe a cause but the drugs dont seem to help either. Im at a loss with it. Maybe its just one of those things i have to put up with?
By the way, this happens in summer and winter. Also cough up mucus and can last for hrs after and sometimes the next day.
Also the interesting thing is that i have a peak flow meter at home and have used it several times after intense sessions/races. One time i did it after a 12.5 mile TT. Straight after the TT i had a bad coughing episode and took salbutamol to relieve. Drove home and approx 30min after the race i blew into the peak flow and took the best of 3 results. 620 was after the race. Before I did the race it was 790.
I think my EIA (if thats what it is) takes a serious amount of aggrivation before it flares up that it doesnt show on the tredmill etc.I also know 'by feel' that those tests were in no way simalr to the efforts i put in when i race.
I wonder if this is why the asthma drugs they have given me dont work.

Happy New Year to you all!!

My cold lingers for much longer than someone who doesn't winter commute by bike. I try to wrap up with a scarf, but I still think the cold air gets in the lungs and makes my winter colds linger.

http://www.talusoutdoor.com/ I saw this product after thinking about the effect of deep inhalation of cold air while ride a couple of weeks ago. I'am concidering one for next year, or if I see one on sale this year.