By Eleanor Emlen Healthy Roar reporters | Do you have a friend or family member who has trouble breathing? Who may cough, wheeze, or be short of breath? They may have asthma.
Asthma is a condition that affects the airways, which get swollen, narrowed, and filled with mucus, according to the website, kidshealth.org. Many triggers can make asthma worse, such as a cold, pollen, mold, cigarette smoke, weather conditions, dust chemicals, and exercise. Asthma can be treated by avoiding triggers and by using medicine such as inhalers.
To learn more about asthma, Healthy Roar reporters spoke with Ms. Ariani, a nurse and a behavioral health tech at Emlen. We also researched asthma on kidshealth.org and in the Healthy NewsWorks book Leading Healthy Change in Our Communities 2013.
Dr. Bryant-Stephan, M.D., who is quoted in the Healthy Newsworks book, said it’s her mission to educate families living with asthma. “My goal is asthma control so children can go to school and do whatever they want,” she said.
Ms. Ariani has taught courses to teach families how to manage asthma triggers. She works with families to help them understand and identify the different triggers along with how to reduce attacks.
“Asthma shows up differently in children than adults,” she said. “The difference is that you can see the stomach inflate and deflate further than the chest.” She explained the reason the stomach moves instead of the chest is because other muscles are working to try to help you breathe.
Ms. Ariani advises anyone with asthma to know their triggers. She defined triggers as “things or activities that activate asthma. It changes the ability to perform physical activities.”
Ms. Ariani offers some tips you can use if you see anyone having an asthma attack. First, ask them if they need help. If they can speak, they are OK. If they can’t reply, find immediate help from an adult. It is also important to know if your friend has asthma and where their medicine is. People with asthma can still enjoy physical activities, but they have to limit them, according to Ms. Ariani.
Although asthma may feel like it can hinder your life, Ms. Ariani wanted everyone to know that “anyone with asthma can enjoy an active life with proper management and understanding of triggers.”
Illustration by Jess, East Norriton M.S., 2022–23.
