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Asthma and Gardening
CharleyD
Posts: 440
This is quite a long shot but has anyone noticed that their asthma gets worse after working in the garden or indeed, has anyone been diagnosed with asthma since they started gardening? I'm a little suspicious as I'm in my 50s and just been diagnosed. I've had the symptoms for over a year ... and that's when I started gardening. I see there is a link between weed killer and asthma. Does anyone wear a mask and/or goggles when spraying? I've been gardening in skimpy canvas shoes, shorts and a vest top and absolutely loving the outdoors with the freedom it brings.
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A friend of mine is affected badly by chemicals and the likes of air fresheners. What he found in the garden was that the pollen and cut grass often made things worse (when I lived nearer I'd cut his lawn for him while he made us dinner - good trade!!)
Did you ever get symptoms before that might indicate pollen was to blame?
Keep out there in the garden, but ditch the weed killer and see if things change. Its a fantastic gentle way to exercise and keep those lungs strong.
I did some hoeing last night at the allotment which got me wheezy from the dust. I don't use any aerosols because they make me sneeze, it used to be a nightmare in the changing rooms at school with all the spray deodorants being used
There are so many delicious scents in the garden but all scents are just chemicals. Those who are sensitive to these aldehydes are just bombarded by them ( even indoors). If perfumes cause headaches or nausea, pine trees, new furniture, fresh paint or laminate flooring makes you feel tired or queasy then you maybe sensitive to aldehydes.
Most of our household smells are either oils from plants or synthetic copies so they are EVERYWHERE! Some people love the taste and smell of coriander as a yummy herb to others it tastes horribly of soap. Some love hawthorn blossom and smell almonds whilst others detect another chemical in it like ammonia ( or ol' pee) as well as the almond scent. It's in your genes which camp you fall into. Not much you can do about that : (
Sensitivity and reactions can show on skin, breathing difficulties, headache and even mood. Antihistamines do help though and a nice trip to the seaside too for a 'change of air'.
Do you ensure you wash the weedkiller off any exposed skin as soon as you finish spraying. You should do, and especially off your hands before eating.
Asthma and hayfever are both essentially allergic reactions, so it makes sense that exposure to pollen could indeed make your asthma worse.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
My brother aged 62 was recently diagnosed with late onset asthma,but the Dr thinks the cause has been years spent working for Anglian Water and being exposed to low levels of hydrogen sulphide.They have a bit of kit in the workplace that measures parts per million of hydrogen sulphide and if the level goes above 15 it beeps.However,the Dr has a theory that repetitive exposure to lower levels than 15 has caused my brother's asthma.
As a child I ended up on 3 inhalers and had eye blisters and skin welts due to not being treated for hayfever, which I find extraordinary today when the whole thing can be treated with an off the shelf anti-histamine. I also remember my father amusing himself thinking he had acquired hayfever as an adult but his breathlessness later turned out to be caused by a silent heart attack.
I don't know about effects from weedkiller as I don't use it but I often think we tend to treat symptoms rather than causes.
I hope you get it sorted anyway
Thanks for all your replies. There's lots of food for thought there.
Clarington - I get hayfever but it's always been more allergy based eg dust, house chemicals etc so I've never though pollen is a particular problem, but which is why I'm thinking it may be the weed killer. Yes, you're absolutely right, I'll definitely stay in the garden and ditch the weed killer. So much to enjoy at the moment
Welshonion - you may have hit the nail on the head (or leg) there! I always wash my hands, but I always (apart from it gets really cold) do my gardening in shorts so the weed killer is bound to get sprayed on my legs and I wouldn't necessarily wash those until the very end of the day, especially if I have a really long day in the garden.
Fishy65, yes I think perhaps that's what's happened to me ... a build up of sensitivity to chemicals and now it's gone from a sniffly nose to full blown asthma.
Marinelilium - it's breathing difficulties i.e. shortness of breath I've had. I do feel grateful that we have lovely sea air here on the Isle of Man, but it's not doing me much good at the moment.
Fleurisa - that sounds very like me!
Chrissie B - that sounds a plan. We have lovely Manx honey here
Thanks again, for all your help. I will definitely try some of those ideas and will also carry on gardening. So enjoyable and such good exercise