Asthma 101: A Guide to Educate and Spread Awareness
If you live with asthma, you may have tried to explain to friends, loved ones, caregivers, or other people in your life what asthma is and how it impacts you. Without the lived experience, it may be difficult for someone to understand. Although they may never fully understand the impact that asthma has had on your life, it may be helpful to guide them toward resources that can help paint a clearer picture.
We've compiled some of our top informational articles and firsthand experiences with asthma to create a guide that you can share with others, helping to spread awareness and knowledge about the condition.
If you've been sent this article by a loved one, please take the time to read through the sections and click on articles that can educate you on the basics of the condition, as well as the emotional and physical impact it may be having on your loved one.
Understanding the basics of asthma
We understand that a doctor explaining asthma may include a lot of medical jargon that is hard to follow or understand, especially when you or a loved one is in the moment of diagnosis. Searching for information online may also be confusing. Here are some basics of asthma all in one easy-to-access place:
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Explaining symptoms
Asthma symptoms vary from person to person, but can have significant impacts on their daily lives. Here are some symptoms that individuals with asthma may experience. Having a better understanding of symptoms can help you to support them and what they may be feeling:
Testing and diagnosis
A person with asthma may be anxious about some of the tests they may have to undergo. Here is some information about the testing and diagnosis process that people may experience. Having this information may help you to support them through any anxiety they may be having, understand something they've gone through, or ask questions that they can ask their doctors:
Treating asthma
You may be wondering about the types of treatment options available to a person with asthma. The truth is that everyone’s asthma responds differently to certain treatments, which is why it’s essential to consult with a doctor before making any changes to your treatment. plan Learn more about the different types of asthma treatment in these articles:
- Asthma Treatment and Management
- Asthma Prevention and Control Medications
- Asthma Rescue Medications
- Types of Asthma Inhalers
- Asthma Medications
- Complementary and Integrative Health for Asthma
Living with asthma: The impact
People with asthma experience physical and emotional changes that they have to endure. Their lives are impacted in many ways, including their daily routines, diets, relationships, and sometimes careers, just to name a few. Read about some of the lifestyle changes people with asthma sometimes have to make:
- Lifestyle Changes for Asthma Management
- Combining Households and Pets: Can My Asthma Handle It?
- Exercising While Managing Asthma
- What Foods Help or Hurt Our Asthma?
- Do You Have an Asthma-Friendly Job?
Finding support and community
Life with asthma can feel very isolating. That’s why support is one of the most important parts of a person's journey with asthma. Support can be shown in many different ways by various individuals.
If you are seeing this article, it’s likely you are already supporting or interested in supporting someone with asthma. Two ways you can show support are by educating yourself on the condition and being there as a shoulder to lean on.
In our community, we have health leaders who share their personal experiences with asthma. They do this so those living with the condition, their loved ones, and their caregivers can better understand the journey. Everyone's journey is different. However, you can read some of our health leader team's articles to gain new perspectives and provide comments to learn more!
You can look at our health leader bios and articles here.
Some articles they've written about support are:
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