Living with asthma
> The co-founders of new non-profit organisation Asthma Malaysia shed some light on this chronic inflammatory disease
countries such as the UK, Australia and the US.
She added: “It is important to have a resource that is relevant to Malaysia, and that’s one reason why Asthma Malaysia was created.”
Helmy explained that there is not one particular test that will tell a person has asthma.
“If you have a bit of a wheeze, and they say you have asthma, that is not always true,” he said, adding that in some cases, the disease is under diagnosed, and in other cases, over diagnosed.
There are also many misconceptions surrounding the disease and one of Asthma Malaysia’s aims is to dispel them, Helmy added.
He said many people don’t want to admit they have asthma as they wrongly perceive that carrying an inhaler around is a stigma and means they are weak.
Another myth, he said, is that asthma only affects the young. It can, in reality, affect a person at any age.
There is also the misconception that a sufferer can grow out of it, which is also untrue. The asthmatic patient can only learn to better manage it.
Another myth involves the steroids in inhalers.
Helmy explained: “A lot of asthmatic women are afraid of taking the medication during their pregnancy, thinking that their baby’s growth will be affected. Every time, they hear the word ‘steroids’, their defense mechanism goes up.
“The thing we are trying to impress on them is that steroids in inhalers are different from oral steroids in how strongly they affect our body.”
He added that it is much safer to continue taking the medication for asthma as it helps the lungs keep the symptoms under control.
He warned that problems will occur if the patient doesn’t take her medication during pregnancy as the foetus will be adversely affected when the mother’s oxygen levels go down during an attack.
Pregnancy itself can also be a trigger for an asthma attack due to the body’s hormonal changes.
Other common asthma triggers include pollen, viruses, air pollution, cold air and emotional stress.
Some jobs can also act as a trigger, especially those involving exposure to chemicals and pollutants.
Exercise is also a trigger but Helmy said that one should learn to control their asthma so that they can lead an active lifestyle.
World-famous athletes such as David Beckham have not allowed asthma to keep them down.
Helmy said: “Going out and doing exercises such as swimming and running are actually better for your lungs as they help strengthen them.”
For those with exerciseinduced asthma, it depends on how sensitive their airways are.
He added that such problems are real and treatments for these patients vary from others.
Sundari added: “What we are trying to get across through Asthma Malaysia is that everyone’s asthma trigger is different.”
She said what works for one patient may not work for another. Each patient has to be treated individually.
Ultimately, it is about controlling the disease.
Sundari summed up Asthma Malaysia’s aims as helping patients control their disease so that they can live a normal life, which it is achievable with the treatments now available.
“We shouldn’t be hearing about people dying of asthma any more,” she added.