Gaining Control - One Breath at a Time
- July 2003
- Français
For most of us, breathing is as automatic as opening our eyes when we wake up. What if you have to spend your entire life worrying about your next breath and the strong possibility that you could end up in an Emergency Department or hospital inpatient unit?
This is a very real experience for Julie Mosher, diagnosed with asthma at birth and now 25 years old. "I used to spend about two weeks in the hospital every December, because my asthma would be so bad," she said. "It was a terrible way to live."
Caleb Hull, 15, agrees. Also diagnosed with the chronic disease as an infant, he recently moved here with his parents from Wiarton, Ontario, an area which is not as hot or humid, with less smog. The Niagara environment helped put him in the Emergency Department in late February. For both Julie and Caleb, a referral to the Community Asthma Care Centre, located at the Niagara Health System's St. Catharines General Site, has changed their lives enormously. A similar Paediatric Asthma Clinic at Greater Niagara General Site in Niagara Falls also takes referrals.
Julie started going to the Asthma Care Centre three years ago, after asthma put her in hospital again. "I really didn't understand the disease, didn't know what my triggers were, and didn't have an action plan to manage my asthma before it became a problem." Now, gone are the days when Julie had to use her inhaler after running up a flight of stairs. "The Asthma Clinic has made an amazing difference for me. I now use a controller medication every day, and when my symptoms start to get bad, I go to the rescue medication to take care of it. I have gone from using rescue medication more than 200 times a month to using it only three times a month now. It's wonderful to be able to control the asthma, and I know so much now that would have helped me over the years. I haven't been in the Emergency Department in three years."
Diane Michaud co-ordinates the program and is a Registered Respiratory Therapist and Certified Asthma Educator. The Community Asthma Care Centre has been operating for about six years, and Diane keeps flexible hours to accommodate children and adults alike. "The first appointment is usually the longest at about 1.5 hours when I do one-on-one counselling with the asthma sufferer and family members," Diane explained. "I get their asthma history and conduct breathing tests to determine the severity of their asthma. I spend a lot of time explaining the disease, how it works and what the triggers are. Most people come in here with very little understanding of the disease and what they can do to control it."
Diane works closely with her clients/patients to develop an action plan, which identifies the type of medication required to control the asthma, as well as the methods to use when symptoms begin to appear. "What works best is for the asthma sufferers to use an inhaled steroid in a low dose as a preventive maintenance system every day, even if they feel great. This really controls the inflammation or swelling of the air passages, and keeps the muscles around the air passages calm so they don't start to constrict." When certain symptoms are triggered due to colds, allergies, tobacco smoke, animal dander, paints, perfumes, cleansers, exercise, weather changes, etc., a rescue medication is to be taken for several days, until the asthma is again under control.
Symptoms of asthma include: coughing or wheezing which is worse at night, early in the morning, or while exercising; tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. What causes asthma is not fully known, although genetics and environment are two key factors. It can be life-threatening, but if medications are taken and the disease triggers are understood, a normal life span and activity level is very possible.
Caleb has been attending the asthma clinic for only a few short months, but already he is noticing a big change in his quality of life. "I used to walk around with a big bag of kleenex and inhalers all the time, but this is the best summer I have ever had."
For more information on being referred by a physician to the Community Asthma Care Centre, please call 905-684-2767 ext. 6502. Contact the Paediatric Asthma Clinic at Greater Niagara General Site by calling 905-358-4937 ext. 3233.