May 10, 2004 Hello! The following post was
taken from an asthma message board in the United Kingdom: Here in the United States: In a class of 30 students, you could expect to find two or three students who have been diagnosed with asthma. Who else? "Celebrities, even
historically important persons, suffered or are suffering from Asthma. Chances are, you know someone
with asthma. You may not know that the boy sitting next to you in
math has been hospitalized twice and has dealt with asthma for as
long as he can remember. You may not know that the girl with the
locker next to yours takes medication every morning in order to
keep her asthma under control. Or, it may be you. Sometimes, being different can be difficult. "Because of the restrictions
asthma can place on their lives, teens with asthma may feel that
they are different from their friends, classmates, and teammates.
Some people may feel weird about taking daily medication or
using inhalers, spacers (a mouthpiece or mask device that helps
make inhalers more effective or easier to use), or peak flow meters
(a small handheld device that measures the airflow exhaled from
the lungs) in front of others. And if a person's asthma is
aggravated by pets such as dogs or cats, he or she might have to
turn down invites to visit the homes of friends with those pets.
People who play sports might find that asthma causes further aggravation.
When asthma flares up, it may mean ending a practice early or pulling
out of a game. Sometimes team members with asthma will have to sit on
the sidelines for a few days until their symptoms go away and they're
feeling better. People react in different ways to the problems that
asthma brings to their lives. Some stay away from all physical activities,
even those approved by their doctors, because they are worried about
having a flare. Others may find that asthma is a convenient excuse
to get out of chores or gym class. And some people may deny they
have asthma at all and may forget or refuse to take the medications
that can control it." Whatever your position (you have asthma, you have a friend with asthma, or you don't know of anyone with asthma--but it's just never come up in conversation with anyone at school or work), asthma is prevalent. Even if it has not yet touched your life, odds are it will. So, what is it? "Asthma is a disease
in which the airways become blocked or narrowed. These effects are
usually temporary, but they cause shortness of breath, breathing
trouble, and other symptoms. If an asthma episode is severe,
a person may need emergency treatment to restore normal breathing.
More than an estimated 17 million people in the United States have
asthma. This health problem is the reason for nearly half a million
hospital stays each year." For asthma illustrations,
visit MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Lots of people have asthma. How serious is it, really? "Asthma accounts for
14 million lost days of school missed annually. Asthma is the third-ranking
cause of hospitalization among those younger than 15 years of age.
The number of children dying from asthma increased almost threefold
from 93 in 1979 to 266 in 1996." More and more children are dieing from asthma. While some kids and teens are still shy about letting others know--still more have let people know only to end up frustrated. "...Thanks to letters
from my parents and hospital doctors I'm allowed to sit out whenever
I want and I don't even have to do PE if I don't feel up to it.
The teachers are always asking if I'm ok and they tell me to sit
down and have a rest when they notice I'm struggling. I hate them
doing that. Ok, so they're probably right, sometimes I should stop
but I'm a really competitive person (as I said in my other post)
and I can't stand having to sit out. I think I scare them a lot
coz I've left so many PE lessons in an ambulance." Not only do some with asthma struggle to get those in their lives to take their disease seriously, still other asthmatics forget (or choose not) to take it seriously themselves. More from Coolio: Questions of the Week: If you have asthma: What do you need to know and do to help keep it under control? What should your friends, family, coworkers, teachers, and classmates know about your asthma so that they can best help you safely participate in as many activities as possible? What should people (friends, family, coworkers, teachers, classmates, etc.) know about your condition ahead of time, so that they can best help you if you have an episode and are unable to communicate your needs? What do you wish everyone knew about asthma? If you know somwone with
asthma (if you go to school or work, odds are that you know someone
with asthma): What do you need to know and do so that you can best
help this person safely participate in as many activities as possible?
What should you know about asthma (specifically, the condition of
the asthmatic in your life) so that you can best help this person
if they have an episode and are unable to communicate their immediate
needs? What else do you want to know about life with asthma? What
else should you know? Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
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