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HEALTH AND FITNESS: ASK THE COACH
Katharine McCoy
December 17, 2009
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Doesn't everybody wish that they had access to a personal coach for their questions about training and fitness? Road Bike Action recently caught up with Johnathan Edwards M.D. Dr. Edwards is a practicing sports doctor and anesthesiologist in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has been a sports doctor for American cyclists as well as in Europe. He is a USA Cycling certified level 3 coach, has worked with athletes during the Paris Dakar rally. As a former professional motocross racer and current Cat 2 road racer, he understands the health and training needs of cyclists of all levels.
I just inhaled a bug while cycling, what do I do?
There are two types of cyclists, one who has swallowed a bug while riding, and the other who will swallow a bug while riding; every cyclist has swallowed a bug or two, it’s just a matter of time. However, once a bug enters the oral cavity, there are two different paths it can go, the food tube or the wind pipe. A bug down the food tube (esophagus) is usually not a big deal and your body will hit it with some stomach juice and take in extra protein. Taking a bug down the wind pipe (trachea) is another matter.
Often it happens when you least expect it during a ride, you are breathing mouth open or talking and suddenly you feel an object deep in your chest. Basically, the bug was at the right place at the right time and you actually breathed in a bug. The first reaction is usually a reflex, violent coughing which immediately expels the bug from the windpipe. Assuming this happens, then all is usually well and your chest is mildly sore. But say the critter goes a little farther and is stuck, you will experience continued violent coughing followed by an “asthma like” attack. This happens because the tissues in the bronchus and lungs are very sensitive to things that are not supposed to be there. The critter is stuck deep in the matrix of your lungs; he is certainly dead by this time. What happens next is the body mounts an inflammatory response to the bug being in the lung tissue. This explains why you can have continued “asthma-like” symptoms. Thus, it may be necessary to control the asthma-like symptoms with a medication that will decrease the inflammation and keep the airways open. These symptoms will usually last some days, if they persist longer than 2-3 days, go see your doctor. When the symptoms persist, it means that a type of scar tissue has formed called a granuloma and it may need to be removed. Although be reassured these cases are rare.
Finally, if the bug swallowed is a bee, and you are allergic to bees, then seek treatment right away; go straight to an urgent care or emergency room. The symptoms will appear much more rapidly than if the bee had stung your skin because there is much more blood flow in the mouth.
Remember, you will have a bug experience, it is just a matter of time, but hopefully it will not make a home in your lungs! Advice? Don’t smile while riding and breathe through your nose.
Dr. Edwards
The information provided in the ASK THE COACH column does not constitute formal medical advice. The information provided on this public web site is provided solely for general interest of the visitors to the site. Information in this column does not constitute medical advice nor establish a doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Johnathan Edwards. Readers of this column should not act upon any information contained in the web site without first seeking medical advice from their personal physician.
If you have your own question about health or training that you would like to ask a coach please send them to fitness@roadbikeaction.com
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