Lady Elanor Mimetes wrote:
How does asthma effect the things you do? For instance, does it impede your ability to say go running, swimming and so on, in any way?
That depends on the type of asthma you have. I have a friend who's asthma is induced by colds, bacterial infections, and the like. Exercise doesn't bother him. I know of some people who are only bothered by allergens. There is also severe asthma, which can be triggered by just about everything.
Note: Every person's experience and symptoms with asthma are different, and for that reason I will use the word "my" a lot. There is a lot of variety amongst asthma conditions and the people who suffer from them.
My asthma was diagnosed as mild to moderate asthma. It is induced by exercise, allergens, and extreme cold. Anyone of these things, and especially a combination of them, can cause an asthma attack. Basically, a reaction is triggered in my lungs, causing (if I remember the explanation correctly) fluid buildup and constriction in my lungs. In most attacks I feel moderate chest pain, tightness in the chest, I have some difficulty breathing and I develop a hacking cough. Occasionally I have a severe attack: the pain is very severe, the cough turns into a kind of wheezing-hacking-squeak, I have a lot of trouble breathing, etc. That usually only happens once a year: they were more frequent when I was younger.
Usually I get an attack while swimming, jogging, or riding my bike, however, sometimes I get an attack if it is very cold, or if the air quality is low, or if the allergen count is high. Sometimes I just get attack while walking, or doing things around the house.
I usually realize I am having an attack when I feel some soreness and tightness in the chest. I quickly develop a cough, and then have difficulty breathing. Throughout this time the pain increases. My attacks can last anywhere from five minutes to more than an hour, depending on the severity and whether I have my inhaler on hand or not.
I use my rescue inhaler, and then I focus on taking regular, slow breaths. I usually feel some linger pain and have a mild cough for about an hour after an attack.
Something interesting (and painful): This summer my area was inundated by smoke from surrounding forest and brush fires for several months. During this time I developed soreness in my chest, an occasional cough, and sometimes strange sharp pains in my chest. My doctor informed me that the lining of my lungs was inflamed, and that the sharp pains were probably due to capillaries (I think he said capillaries) bursting. He said the smoke effected me more severely because of my asthma, but that lots of non-asthmatic people had been developing similar problems. (Something to think about if one of your characters experiences extended exposure to mild smoke. Inhaling actually smoke for a long period of time is, of course, a much more serious, potentially deadly matter).
