Breathe Easy- Managing your Asthma
Do you have asthma, and feel like it’s controlling you more than you’re controlling it?
We know it can be hard as you get older, with new responsibilities and changes going on. Learn to manage your asthma better with the following info to get you feeling great again and focusing on the more important things in your life!
The Facts:
Asthma can affect anyone at any stage of their life. It’s a chronic lung disease that makes your lungs more sensitive than other people’s. This condition is with you every day, although you may not have symptoms.
Sensitive airways can react to different things, called triggers. Once your asthma has been ‘triggered’ the lining of the airways gets inflamed or swollen and the muscles around the airways tighten, making it difficult to breath.
An asthma attack is when asthma gets worse, it can happen suddenly or slowly over a few days. They can be life-threatening which is why your parents/carers may get stressed about it, but the chance of having one goes down if you have the right treatment.
Tips to take charge:
– Make sure you have an asthma action plan, you can download it and share with your school or college.
– Use your phone or post-it notes on walls and doors to remind you to take your medication and take out your reliever inhaler if you often forget.
– Let friends, family, teachers and employers know about your condition and how they can help in an emergency. You can give them copies of your personal asthma action plan too.
– Be more aware of the triggers so you can stay away from these.
– Know the symptoms so you are aware of when an asthma attack may be coming on.
Being bullied or feeling embarrassed?
Avoiding taking out your inhaler in school or public can be dangerous to your health. If peers are teasing you about your condition, it may be good to tell them how it makes you feel so they can better understand. If the teasing doesn’t stop, you should tell a teacher or support staff you trust about what’s going on.
Remember, asthma is very common so it’s likely you will know others who have it that you can speak to and get support from. There are many celebrities and professional athletes that have asthma but are thriving too. By taking charge of your asthma, you too can feel more confident and live an active healthy lifestyle.
Websites and Helpline for more advice or help:
The NHS website
