GOOD NEWS - The good news is that I have started to smell things! This morning I noticed that one of our dogs passed gas before Tom noticed - Before I wouldn't detect it.
ASTHMA ATTACKED AFTER ANESTHESIA - Although the swelling in my nose is still making me breathe through my mouth (and I use a towel over it at night to alleviate drying it out), the smells are coming. HOWEVER, one thing I didn't realize was that anesthesia can sometimes trigger ASTHMA ATTACKS. I have asthma, and although it's usually mild, and I'm no longer on a daily treatment for it- I started TODAY.
Since I came out of the operation, I noticed my breathing has been labored. I didn't know WHY until I looked it up, and it all makes sense. So, now I'm waiting for the nasal swelling to decrease and treating myself for asthma (mucinex, daily inhaler, lots of water, etc.).
WHAT IS ASTHMA? Asthma is a chronic disease that involves inflammation of the lungs. Airways swell and restrict airflow in and out of the lungs, making it hard to breathe.
The Effects of General Anesthesia on Asthma
General anesthesia relaxes all the muscles in your body, including those of the lungs and airways. When your airways and lungs relax, your body’s cough reflex is inhibited. This can cause a build-up of mucous in the airways, leading to airway obstruction and bronchospasm (an asthma attack) before, during or after surgery. Another possible side effect for asthmatics is the possibility of developing low oxygen levels in the body due to decreased respiration levels. General anesthesia can have a dramatic effect on your lungs. However it’s safe for most asthma patients to receive general anesthesia. Source: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art56898.asp
Asthma and Serious Sweating
Asthma attacks also cause serious sweating to occur. This is mainly due to the higher levels of stress and anxiety that you undergo during a major asthma attack. Sweating isn't what most people think of when they try to list the various asthma symptoms, but it is indeed one of the more common ones. In most cases it will occur at night as you sleep, mainly due to the fact that a number of asthma problems will occur during sleep. Source: http://www.asthmasymptoms.org/sweating.html
Asthma and Chills- Although there's not one source on this- several websites mentioned people getting chills when they're very overtired. I was overtired yesterday at the event, and by 4pm got chills inside the Expo. I didn't know it was asthma...Now I know. Two nights ago, I was watching TV with Tom and got a bad case of the chills- but no fever. It was because I was overtired (from not being able to sleep and breathe through my nose).
SYMPTOMS (Source: https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/asthma)
Primary symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing -- usually begins suddenly; may be worse at night or early in the morning; can be made worse by cold air, exercise, and heartburn; is relieved by using bronchodilators (drugs that open the airways; see Medications)
- Chest tightness
- Cough (dry or with sputum) -- in cough-variant asthma, this may be the only symptom
- Extreme difficulty breathing or stopping breathing
- Bluish color to the lips and face, called cyanosis
- Severe anxiety
- Rapid pulse
- Excessive sweating
- Decreased level of consciousness, such as drowsiness or confusion
