It's not just hot flushes – women's hormones also trigger asthma

Sarah Broom, 42, was suddenly struggling to control her asthma The nurse from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, rarely had symptoms Her condition was controlled with her preventer and reliever inhalers But tests showed levels of airflow dropped shortly before every period

By Cara Lee for the Daily Mail

Published: 19:41 EST, 26 January 2015 | Updated: 20:34 EST, 26 January 2015

Sarah Broom, 42, had no idea why she was suddenly struggling to control her asthma symptoms

Sarah Broom had no idea why she was suddenly struggling to control her asthma symptoms.

The nurse had been diagnosed with the condition in 2006, after developing a tickly cough and wheeze. But once diagnosed, she rarely had asthma symptoms as her condition was controlled with her preventer and reliever inhalers.

Then, in March 2011, she had an asthma attack and was admitted to hospital after going to A&E. 'I was wheezing, coughing a lot at night and couldn't breathe properly - but, unusually, my reliever inhaler wasn't helping,' says Sarah, 42, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

Doctors gave her stronger medications, including a nebuliser, which creates a mist of higher-dose medicine breathed in through a mask, and steroid tablets to reduce the inflammation in her airways.

Sarah was admitted to hospital again that September, October and November - each time two or three days before her period. Looking back, she realised the March attack had also occurred just before her period and wondered if hormones could be to blame.

'I knew that my asthma triggers were cold weather, dust, or a cold - but, in those instances, inhalers helped,' she says. 'When I suspected my hormones could be causing my attacks, I looked back at the results of my daily peak flow meter tests, which measure how quickly you can exhale air and indicate your lung function.

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It's not just hot flushes - women's hormones also trigger asthma