Asthma Facts and Myths
Asthma Facts Or Fiction?
Asthma is a serious condition that affects lots of people all over the world. Children and adults have to live with sudden asthma attacks triggered by so many different reasons.
Asthma has been around for a long time and over the years people who didn't really know too much about asthma passed on what they believed as facts.
Sometimes the stories were based on an asthma fact, but had changed as they spread from person to person.
Examples of these are that asthma is a curable condition or that people with asthma shouldn't exercise. Each is one fact, not the whole picture.
Some Asthma Myths
Here are some of the most popular myths about asthma:
- Children will outgrow asthma.
This is completely false. The truth is that almost 50% of children diagnosed with asthma appear to get better and the condition may hide during the high school years. But these children will always have asthma and it can show up again when they are older. Parents should monitor asthma symptoms and keep track of any allergic reactions because this information may be needed to identify triggers when the child is an adult. - Asthmatics can’t exercise or play sports.
Any person who suffers asthma can exercise or practice most sports. There does need to be a doctor's evaluation and the doctor will probably give some recommendations on the type and amount of exercise as well as provide a schedule. If the person is part of a team the trainer and teammates need to know about the condition and what to do in case of an attack. In a gym, trainers should be informed and the place checked for asthma triggers. - Asthma is all in your head.
Asthma is not an “emotional” condition or psychosomatic. Its true that emotions, like stress for example, can trigger an asthma attack, but this is not common. Asthma is a physical condition. - Asthma can be cured.
There is no magical or miraculous product that can cure asthma. If you see an ad saying they can do this, they are just out for the money. A cure for asthma has not been discovered yet, but asthma can be controlled. There are lots of treatments and drugs that do help. Scientists are still researching several ways to eliminate this condition but do trust a doctor before trusting anyone else who says they have the final cure.
What Should I Do?
If you have any doubts about asthma, don’t ask just anyone, ask a doctor. If you don't have a doctor, ask your health insurance agent who is good.
And it is very important to have a doctor to ask as questions will probably come up.
Talk to your doctor about anything or drugs leads you hear about asthma that sounds too good (or too bad) to be true.
You doctor is the best qualified person to give you tips to better manage your lifestyle.