Asthma and relationships, family and friends
Many people mentioned the importance of practical and emotional support from family, friends and work colleagues. Being supported and having other people to talk to...
We asked people what messages they would give to others from their experiences with asthma.
A key message echoed by many interviewees was that although it might seem daunting to be diagnosed with asthma at first, particularly if you’ve experienced a serious asthma attack, you can control it, rather than letting it control you.
Nicola said, “It doesn’t have to take over your life”; David’s advice was “learn to control your asthma and you can live a full life”, and Eileen said, “It need not inhibit you in any way. But you have to make sure that you’re diagnosed, that you have the proper medication, and that you take it.”
People were keen to point out that asthma need not interfere too much with your life if you take the right steps to manage it. They recommended that anyone diagnosed with asthma should be proactive and try to find out as much information as possible to help understand it, because as one person said “knowledge is power”.
When somebody is newly diagnosed or has badly-managed asthma, there were things that people told us they thought were important to get them to a point where they could feel in control. These things included:
While people often mentioned taking a positive attitude, several also pointed out that this did not mean treating asthma as trivial. Being aware of how serious it can be if not well-controlled can help motivate people to make sure they manage their asthma effectively.
(Also see Managing asthma: reviews and action plans and Medication and treatment: inhalers).
Many people mentioned the importance of practical and emotional support from family, friends and work colleagues. Being supported and having other people to talk to...
We asked the people we interviewed what messages they would like to convey to health professionals who look after people with asthma. Developing good relationships...