I have suffered from asthma for some 10 years now and over that time period have learned a lot about asthma… what triggers it in me, the symptoms which are manifested and my learning curve in discovering how to cope while getting on with living a normal life.
In all that time I have made extensive enquiries into the whole subject and have tried to disentangle the truth from all the hearsay, old wives tales and general disinformation about the subject. Needless to say, I learned a lot about asthma, both from personal experience of it and from my investigations. My asthma is now under control, but it occurred to me that there are millions of people out there who could possibly benefit from what I have discovered.
I suppose to those who first are diagnosed with asthma, it can be a frightening experience. So I have tried in this article to put together some thoughts, separating facts from fiction, truth from doubt, in the hope that this will help everyone afflicted with the disease. To start with I want to set out some basic facts which may explode received wisdom about asthma.
Myth 1… Once your daily medication works, don’t change it. Wrong… the aim of treatment is to control airway inflammation and preserve lung function with the lowest level of medication possible. It is important to see your doctor regularly to see whether your control medication can be reduced or stepped down.
Myth 2…Everyone can tell when their asthma is getting worse. Wrong… Some people can but some can’t, particularly if the reaction occurs at night when you are asleep. Sometimes an attack occurs quickly, so the regular use of a peak flow meter is a must. This monitors how well air is flowing through the airways and will alert you to any deterioration in function.
Myth 3… Drinking Alcohol does not cause asthma. Wrong… Beer and wine contain a substance called sulfites, which occur naturally or are added as a preservative. These can trigger an attack or lead to a severe allergic reaction in some asthma sufferers. Read more…