Last week the American Lung Association released a very nifty webpage, Beating the Heat With Asthma. This weblink offers some very practical tips for managing the heat and asthma with high hopes of avoiding an asthma episode. It’s still abnormally hot in my neck of the woods and I’ve even noticed my son experiencing some asthma symptoms that normally does not bother him. I’m attributing it to what our family calls the bucket theory.
We believe that we all have a health bucket and various elements fill up the bucket until eventually, the bucket is too full and tips over. For example, in the summer, things that my kids would add to their bucket could be…
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- Having a summer cold, thus causing a compromised immune system.
- Lack of sleep from nights being too hot.
- Stress.
- Sunblock with strong fragrance.
- Chemicals from swimming pools.
- Trees and outdoor plants pollinating.
- Poor air quality due to wild fires.
- Freshly cut grass.
The final blow to this bucket can be the heat. One drop too many and now the bucket is overflowing–the wrong way! Individually, these items are manageable…until they are added together and then we find ourselves working hard to avoid an asthma attack. For our family, the key to Beating the Heat with Asthma is exactly what the American Lung Association is stating: consider various elements, such as air quality, packing a bag and being prepared, avoiding fragrances, etc. It’s a good read.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..