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Asthma and Allergy (Expert Forum)
Coughing after laughing
Answered by
MN
This forum is for questions and support regarding: Allergies, Asthma, Chronic Cough, Sinusitis, and other Respiratory Disorders.
Coughing after laughing
by facit, Jul 09, 2008 03:55PM
I am a 19 yo female in good health. I do have asthma, but it only makes an appearance when I do heavy exercise. Something has been going on for about year that I am not particularly concerned about, but...I am curious.
Whenever I laugh, even if it's a short burst, I start coughing up what I believe to be mucus or something of that consistency. It's not in my throat, I'm definitely certain it is coming from my lungs, as when I breath I can hear it making gurgling-popping-type noises. I tend to get hoarse. It's a fairly large amount and it only subsides abit after I stop laughing.
Any ideas what this might be? Allergies perhaps? I take an allergy pill daily and am usually unaffected, no runny noses or such, even when it's pollen-y and smokey out. It's just weird that it comes about when I laugh. I will periodically cough up this mucus-stuff even when I am not laughing, but it is not in the amounts that it would be if I were, you know, laughing.
Also, I do not smoke or live around anyone who does. Any possible insight would be appreciated.
Whenever I laugh, even if it's a short burst, I start coughing up what I believe to be mucus or something of that consistency. It's not in my throat, I'm definitely certain it is coming from my lungs, as when I breath I can hear it making gurgling-popping-type noises. I tend to get hoarse. It's a fairly large amount and it only subsides abit after I stop laughing.
Any ideas what this might be? Allergies perhaps? I take an allergy pill daily and am usually unaffected, no runny noses or such, even when it's pollen-y and smokey out. It's just weird that it comes about when I laugh. I will periodically cough up this mucus-stuff even when I am not laughing, but it is not in the amounts that it would be if I were, you know, laughing.
Also, I do not smoke or live around anyone who does. Any possible insight would be appreciated.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish Health, Jul 10, 2008 01:34PM
, Jul 10, 2008 01:34PM
Laughing can lead to the expectoration of mucus because laughing generates high pressure within the bronchial tubes. This only occurs if one has an abnormal amount of mucus in the lungs.
Asthma is characterized by sensitive airways, called bronchial hyperreactivity, airway inflammation, an increased production of mucus, sometimes abnormally tenacious, and bronchospasm, contraction of the airways. The amount of mucus varies greatly from one person with asthma to another and for some individuals it is the major manifestation of asthma. People with asthma are often allergic. This could be a major cause of the mucus but irritants can also do this.
Bottom line – the mucus is probably due to asthma and an indication that your asthma is not optimally controlled. You may well need additional anti-asthmatic medicine. A trial of an inhaled steroid would be one way to test this hypothesis.
Good luck. Whatever you do, keep on exercising and don't stop laughing.
Asthma is characterized by sensitive airways, called bronchial hyperreactivity, airway inflammation, an increased production of mucus, sometimes abnormally tenacious, and bronchospasm, contraction of the airways. The amount of mucus varies greatly from one person with asthma to another and for some individuals it is the major manifestation of asthma. People with asthma are often allergic. This could be a major cause of the mucus but irritants can also do this.
Bottom line – the mucus is probably due to asthma and an indication that your asthma is not optimally controlled. You may well need additional anti-asthmatic medicine. A trial of an inhaled steroid would be one way to test this hypothesis.
Good luck. Whatever you do, keep on exercising and don't stop laughing.
