breathe in. breathe out. ow.

I ache.

Right now, my chest is tight and my upper body hurts. I've spent three plus hours struggling to breathe this evening. This has happened from time to time, but I've noticed that this is happening more and more in the last year or so. I was chalking it up to allergies, but tonight I took Claritin which has antihistamines and there was no response. At about 8:30 pm I called my husband to tell him I was seriously considering going to the emergency room, I was that freaked out. I was lying in bed exhausted but unable to sleep because breathing was too difficult. Right after I called him things began to ease up a bit.

I have always been a bit asthmatic but have never technically been diagnosed with asthma. My mom has always said that she thought I should carry an inhaler with me, but I've always rejected that notion because I've never felt it was serious enough. The last few months though I've begun to re-evaluate. Exercising, particularly when I run, has always left me a bit wheezy (without the itchy/allergic feeling). In 2004 when I went to visit a friend out in Lee, Illinois I was stricken with this wheezy closing of the chest accompanied by a scratchy, itchy throat and intense itchiness around my mouth and chin. I chalked it up to allergies as it was high summer and she lives out in the country. But I can (and have) also simply been sitting on the couch watching television to have it strike out of nowhere. This has been happening more and more to me in the last few months.

I need to take this in hand. It was really scary this evening not knowing if I was going to have to drive myself to the ER, or if even if i was overreacting. The funny thing is, when I went to WebMD, the list of symptoms preceding an attack was as follows:

- Frequent cough, especially at night (Yep)
- Reduced peak flow meter readings
- Losing your breath easily or shortness of breath (Yep)
- Feeling very tired or weak when exercising (Yep)
- Wheezing or coughing after exercise (Yep)
- Feeling tired, easily upset, grouchy or moody (Yep)
- Decreases or changes in lung function as measured on a peak flow meter
- Signs of a cold, or allergies (sneezing, runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, sore throat and headache)
- Trouble sleeping

The symptoms indicated were ones I definitely felt this week since Saturday.

I'd guess it's time to go visit the doc.