Asthma & the CF (merged thread)

[medicineman]

I have minor asthma that only really bothers me on long runs im also a ciggerette smoker of 10 years (im onlt 23) and im worried i wont be able to make it. Anyone els with asthma have experince with this?

My asthma is very mild i don't even use any drugs for it and i think it might have been more of a childhood case, but my endurance is horrible im in good shape too its just long runs that get me perhaps i 'd be fine i havn't even tried a long run in years since i was a kid when my asthma was more of a problem.

Also do you need a highschool education i made some poor decisions when i was 16  and dropped out of highschool, im not incapable by any means, i'm actually a self learned omputer programmer and graphic designer (went to the school of google ).

I need somthing that is high adrenaline.

I don't have asthma and I was getting short of breath too because of your run on sentences.

In my experience, as I've said previously, everyone's asthma, angina, allergies, brain injury, depression, mania, psychopathy, etc are always minor.  You'll be given a questionnaire that needs to be filled out by your doctor reagarding your asthma - the rest is up to the Recruit Medical Office to decide if you meet the criteria.

MM

 

[Wolfgang1010]

Hey guys, I just finished my medical, my blood pressure was a little high so I got the note getting my doctor to sign off and so I did the next day and passed. The fact that I failed the first blood pressure reading can that cause any complications?
Also I mentioned childhood asthma but never used a puffer or anything, the doctor never gave me a note like she did for my blood pressure, so I am assuming my childhood asthma is nothing to worry about, correct?

 

[JorgSlice]

The CF will ask for documentation from your doctor that will say whether or not it will affect your enrolment into the CAF. It'll be based on several factors, bottom line is basically: "Will this person have an attack and collapse if they're doing high-intensity, high-adrenaline operations or training?" If your doctor even says there's a possibility, the RMO will probably deem you unfit for service.

Best bet is to consult the Medical Technician at your CFRC.

 

[JorgSlice]

No form=No problem 

Whoa whoa whoa. Are you a recruiter? Are you a Med Tech with knowledge of medical standards for recruiting? Are you a Medical Officer with the CFRG?

Don't tell people "no form = no problem."

Wolfgang, read my post again. In the morning contact your CFRC Medical Section and ask them to be safe rather than sorry.

 

[Nudibranch]

Hey guys, I just finished my medical, my blood pressure was a little high so I got the note getting my doctor to sign off and so I did the next day and passed. The fact that I failed the first blood pressure reading can that cause any complications?
Also I mentioned childhood asthma but never used a puffer or anything, the doctor never gave me a note like she did for my blood pressure, so I am assuming my childhood asthma is nothing to worry about, correct?

I agree to double-check.

But many times "childhood asthma"...isn't. And the MT/PA at the recruiting center knows that, so if they took a good history (how old, ever take meds/need to go to ER for it, did you have an actual diagnostic test for it vs did the doc just call it asthma when you wheezed a couple times at age 18 months when you had a cold), it is possible that you need nothing else. Double-check to make sure it doesn't come back later and delay your application.

 

[B.Grewal]

Just an update... during my medical I declared asthma in childhood, and had to fill in a sheet about my useage and asthma issues. Also I mentioned that I had been given an inhaler at 21, but since it was an isolated event  and not reflective of asthma I did not have to put it down as the last time I used an inhaler. I was asked about my family medical history and given an examination of my lungs/breathing via the doctor. After all said and done, I was deemed healthy and thus concluded my medical.

Did not need to take a form or do any tests,

I guess the process really does depend on the severity of your situation. I think a dependency on inhalers is the major issue and your frequency of inhaler use will determine whether you need further testing or not.

Anyways, now its waiting game for me to get merit listed,

Best of luck to all who have asthma or inhaler related issues

 

[ModlrMike]

Nobody here can or will answer your question. You file will go to the Recruiting MO for determination.

There are dozens of threads on asthma here, and all of them have the same answer I gave you, which is the most anyone can do.

 

[JayJay88]

hi, ive been refused to the CF because my asthma problem . i dont have really problem its just because this winter , when i am doin some jogging i was trying to take some asthma pump to help me but its doesnt make any difference ans i stop take some ,and i havent take pump since many year ago . the problem is that the medical tech ask my medical document and when he saw the pump prescrition ive been refused to the cf because of this prescription . they send me a letter about and what they said , i can retry with new information that can change te situation by i dont know what to do ..... do you have some trick to tell me , im te only one that have that kind of enrolement problem , i run 5 km 3-4 per week and do all the push up and all they want but is realy just beause my medical nfomation ...... ( sorry for my english im french canadian from quebec ) thanks for your trick and info

 

[PMedMoe]

I can't believe that a doctor would prescribe you asthma medication without doing any kind of testing on you.

Best you can do is get a letter from your doctor saying you were never tested for (or diagnosed with) asthma.

 

[ModlrMike]

There are no "tricks" you can use to be enrolled in the CF. Your next step is to take the letter to your doctor and get a referral to a specialist for an asthma test. Obtain a copy of the result and provide this information to the recruiting center. That should provide you a definitive answer.

 

[Duncan7020]

Hello, I am a teenager who is heavily considering joining the military once I am 18, overall I have fairly good overall endurance, strength, and fitness and I will be working continuously on improving those. However I have slight Asthma that has never really been a problem for me however I still do have it. I have never had to use my puffer in years and I have never had an asthma attack. I can run far for long periods of time and I am getting better at doing so every day. I may as well not even have Asthma as I never notice it. As of recent I have ran 1.5 Kilometers in about seven minutes, which was considered above average and it was only about 20 seconds behind most of the best runners in my class. I did not feel weak after running ad I only stopped to walk for about 10 seconds. I really do not want to be restricted from my dream just because I have a condition that doesn't even affect me. Thank you for your answers. Go Canada!    :threat: 

 

[mpelletier92]

Hi all, been gathering a lot of information here for a while to know what I'm getting into before going to basic but I have an unanswered question to ask.

Sometimes but more often during cold days, my bronchi seem to contract a little. To illustrate that in numbers, its like: 100% Airflow to the lungs 7/8 of the time and 90% airflow to the lungs 1/8 of the time (like I said, more often during cold days). I've been dealing with it since my early teenage and I always have been able to do physical training, running and everything else. To compensate I use a bronchodilator called Ventolin ... it's an inhaler.

My question is: Will I be allowed to carry it with me during basic?

Update: I have written the post in present to simplify the reading but it's been a while since I've had this kind of symptom. Like I said below, it was in a preventive measure. Sorry for being unclear.

 

[PMedMoe]

Did the fact that you use Ventolin come up during your Medical?

Or have you even started the recruiting process?

 

[mpelletier92]

No I didn't mention it since I didn't thought it would be a useful information. I don't use it often. It may be my bad not to have mentioned it.

During medical the doc asked if I was taking any pill, I told him that I took naprocin for a month and he told me that it was not necessary to mention it ... after when he talked about asthma and all that related stuff I just thought ... well it's not even worth mentioning it.

 

[PMedMoe]

It is prescribed by a doctor, isn't it??

If you use a prescribed asthma medication, you'd be wise to mention that.  Even at this point.

 

[Duncan7020]

So I originally wanted to be a soldier but with asthma thats almost impossible, however I still want to help out and I would assume that an ammunition technician wouldn't really do much running or anything, if even any at all. so im looking for clarification or other infomation you guys could give. Id really appreciate it and if I cant be an ammunition technician, what other jobs could I do in the forces with asthma?

 

[medicineman]

So I originally wanted to be a soldier but with asthma thats almost impossible, however I still want to help out and I would assume that an ammunition technician wouldn't really do much running or anything, if even any at all.

Hate to tell you Dude, but Ammo Techs are actually soldiers...as for other jobs, well you'll have to talk to Recruiting and go through the process to find out how bad your asthma really is so the Medical Folks can see where you fit into the asthma spectrum and the CAF.

MM

 

[Atominthesky]

Honestly, I'm worried I'm wasting my time at this point. Spending the next 4-6 months going back to school with some online courses so I can qualify for CEOTP Pilot program. BUT I have Asthma, and yes I still have it and still take medication for it. It is acute asthma. So I'm able to get a doctor's note and do the methacholine test to prove it will be of little to no risk but from what I've read they may simply decline me anyway. What are my chances?

 

[medicineman]

If you're lucky, Cdr(Ret) Gray will be doing your medical at CFEME if he's still practicing...however, the standards evolve as well - that paper is nigh on 23 years old.  As has been mentioned here by me and many others, we're not getting sucked into your specific issues online.  They, and I'll bold this so you can't miss it, need to be taken up with the recruit medical staff at your CFRC and in Ottawa...if you're lucky to make it to aircrew selection, you'll be gone over inside and out at CFEME in Toronto.  There are many applicants for few jobs and the standards are there - if you don't meet them, you don't get the job.

My  :2c: for what it's worth, if you have even some minor issues with your methacholine challenge, I'm willing to bet that your lungs are really going to hate pressure breathing dry aviation oxygen for extended periods.  But I'm just an undersea medicine guy, not aviation.

MM

 

[Atominthesky]

Unfortunately I think I need to bow out. I don't think I can justify spending the next 6 months re-schooling to apply, go through the CFAT, interviews, maybe even as far as aircrew selection ultimately to face a high chance of rejection for something out of my control. Frustrating to say the least.