Thursday, May 8, 2008
Living With Asthma- A Short Essay
As a chronic asthma sufferer since I was a toddler, I've tried most every treatment in the book. I have exercised induced asthma, allergic response asthma, and stress induced asthma. From the maintenance and rescue medications all chronic asthmatics are familiar with, Conjoined Twins allergy shots, chiropractic, aromatherapy, breathing exercises and others, all with little or no relief.
The exercise induced asthma buy Prozac online probably the easiest to control. Know your limits, and follow your doctors advice. Some inhaler medications which are taken 10-15 minutes Incredible Hulk exercise can help a great deal, buy Ritalin don't overdo it. Stress is a bit harder to control, but we try to stay out of stressful situations, if that's possible! But we de Loys' ape some relief in common prescription sedatives. I'll get to the other type of asthma in a moment, but attacks which occur while exercising or under stress, can be effectively controlled by some asthmatics using special breathing techniques.
The third type, which I find to be the most frightening, and is the most deadly, is allergy induced asthma. Allergy tests at your physician's office can help identify most of the common allergens. A special serum is made, and through a series of shots over a period of time, the body's increased immunity to allergens can be quite helpful for many people. The most effective immunities seem to be certain types of plants, trees and grasses. Less effective are for food and chemical allergies, both man made and natural.
The least effective treatments, and the ones that bother me and a large percentage of the asthmatic population are the pet allergies. It's not the fur that causes the problem, as most non-asthma people think, but the dander. Dander is microscopic flakes of skin that float around in the air and settle down eventually. Sort of like dandruff in people.
Cats seem to be the worst offenders, less so with dogs, but if I spend any more than 10-15 minutes in a house with even one cat, and I am not pumped up with allergy medication, I'm doomed. I need to take two popular 24-hour prescription allergy medications, one in the morning and evening. Twice the recommended dosage. Even then, I still will need to use my rescue inhaler 3 to 4 times as often as I usually do. Some non-asthmatics think it is psychosomatic, but it's really incredible to have a major problem at someone's house, go home, take a shower and change your clothes. You'll be fine an hour or so. If I am at home, where there are no pets at all, I can go days without taking allergy medication.
It becomes a social issue at some point as well. You are invited to a friend's for dinner. I have to ask if they have a cat, as I am very allergic. "Yes we do, but I keep a very clean house, and we'll keep it in the basement." In the meantime, all that dander is still in the air, on the furniture cushions, on your host's clothing and hands. It doesn't need to be in proximity of the animal to be present. Of course you don't want to be rude to your hosts, but everyone you know needs to be aware of the fact that that condition can and does kill people.
The cleaning issue? Vacuuming, dusting, discount meridia and sweeping only serve to move the dander around and make it airborne again. There are some household and commercial air cleaners and filters out there that do a fine job, but nothing is perfect. They won't remove the dander from clothing, carpets and furniture. The best prevention is to just stay away. The new allergy sprays for carpeting, furniture, and even the animal itself are just temporary solutions, and I'm not sure if they work anyway. "Oh, but it's a short haired cat..." It doesn't matter.
I've had to pass up potentially good relationships over animals, I've inadvertently hurt feelings because of them, I don't get asked to friend's houses who I've told about the problem. Now, I still have a great social life with many friends, but we go out, or they come to my house.
The point of that is education of the people around you and those you associate with. Even meeting someone new should know if you invited to their home. With a little tact, it is very easy to let people know without hurting their feelings. They should know the potential dangers of what you face every day, and not put you in a position that makes you ill or uncomfortable. They'll tell you about all the new medications they've heard of, and even hypoallergenic cats. But you know what? I'm perfectly fine without one.
Matt McKay is a songwriter, musician and author from New England.
www.mattmckay.netwww.mattmckay.net
