Trent

Asthma is not rated by how “bad” it is. The doctors view each case of asthma on how knowledgeable each person is about their condition and how well they manage their asthma when they are ill. Your cousin needs to research asthma and learn everything he can about it and then, he can hopefully prevent further episodes because he knows what to do when it occurs.

Marianna

Good question and good answer!

Another resource to find out more about asthma is below

Abbey

I would think so. Any type of illness or affliction generally has some degree of severity to it. Whether he just has to avoid some kinds of activities or has to carry an inhaler with him at all times is going to depend on how bad his asthma is which is something his Dr. should advise him about.

Luca

Yes, there are people who have airways that react faster or more than other people’s airways. Your cousin needs to see a Pulmonlogist who will order a Pulmonary Function test to see exactly where he stands as far as his asthma.

My E-book on Asthma and other Respiratory Illnesses

Aleah

Long — BUT well worth the reading.

Make the connection!

I am a nurse with over 25 years experience in this area and I have seen a lot of people with various illnesses caused from chemicals and fragranced products as well as VOC’s in their homes, schools and workplace. This problem is growing as more and more chemicals are being introduced into the market and used on a daily basis.

We are now seeing more and more children and adults with Chronic Headaches, Migraines, Asthma, Allergies, Hives, Eczema, sinus / respiratory illnesses and Hormone related disorders. I can not emphasize how important it is to educate yourself about MCS (do a websearch for MCS) and the harm you may be doing to your health by using chemicals and fragranced products.

If you or a loved one suffers from Asthma, Allergies, Autism, chronic headaches, reproductive problems, Migraines, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus or Fibromyalgia, you need to read further and learn about the signs and symptoms of MCS - Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Most doctors will not inform you about this because patients as a whole like to walk out of a doctors office with a prescription for some magical medicine and they do not want to be told that their expensive new perfume or newly installed carpet may be the culprit. So, the doctor will give you medications and many of these meds either do not work or cause other health problems.

Chemicals and fragranced products are often the root of all evil when it comes to your health. Many of the below mentioned items are common triggers to sinus, asthma, itching, headaches, Migraines and allergy problems amongst other health issues. Get rid of them and your lungs will thank you and you will breathe easier.

And, it is not only personal body or cleaning products causing havoc on your health….many people become ill after wearing brand new clothing, dry-cleaned clothes, installing new carpet, painting, buying a new mattress or after home renovations because of the Flame Retardants, Benzenes, Formaldehydes, etc. used in these products. So the answer is NO, you are not imagining that 2 weeks after your home, office or classroom got renovated you started to become ill, get dizzy or have headaches. This is happening more and more these days and adults as well as children are becoming sicker and sicker.

Unfortunately, too many doctors compound the problem by prescribing chemical medications to try to alleviate the symptoms of an already chemical overloaded body and they rarely tell the patient to eliminate the chemical offenders. How many times have I seen people in the grocery store with Bounce, Glade Plug-Ins and Febreeze in their shopping cart along with a bottle of Benadryl , Migraine Excedrin and a box of Allergy Tablets ? Why don’t they make the connection?

Here is a Brain Spect Scan Before and after a whiff of perfume:

Keep in mind that your skin is the largest organ of your body and what you put on your skin gets absorbed into your body. Then … well… then it has to be filtered by your organs which are already working real hard.

BIG NO-NO’s —- I would SERIOUSLY recommend removing all of the below from your living / working area.

No Bounce or dryer sheets - these are VERY toxic
No Febreeze - your pets will even thank you for this
No Glade Plug-ins - VERY toxic
No Scented candles
No Scented Dish Detergents
No Fragranced Products on Body, Hair or Clothing
No Smoke
No Newspapers and Magazines - The ink is a huge irritant.
No Dander
No Sprays
No Sharpies (marker pens)
New Cartpeting, mattresses, paint, contain toxins that can trigger severe respiratory disorders as well as headaches and Asthma flare-ups.

And remember, it is NOT the smell it is the Chemicals that make up the smell. So, even if something is “Fragrance Free” these products often mask the smell with another chemical ! There are plenty of safe healthy products out there that work well and do not have added chemical fragrances. Look on MCS sites if you need help finding them.

More and more workplaces & schools are creating “Fragrance Free Zones”… why do you think this is? Make the connection, your lungs , immune system and your general health will thank you.

Maci

Yes, asthma has different levels of severity. An asthma called Status Asthmaticus is the most dangerous one. It is also called unresponsive asthma. Its attacks are severe and last for several days.. Patients often end up in exhaustion and acidosis.
Please read:

Charlie

Yes - and there are different medications you take based on the severity. Some cases are so mild, you only need a rescue inhaler for when it starts to act up. Other cases that are more persistent and severe require daily medicine to fight constant inflammation.

Gwendolyn

I disagree with the first poster.

I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 6 months old. When I was diagnosed, it was a very rare thing to see doctors diagnose kids with asthma if they were under 2 years old.

Had my asthma not been so “bad”, my doctors would not have diagnosed me with it.

I know a lot about asthma. My brother has exercise induced asthma, but the doctors will not diagnose him because he wants to go into the military.

He had a bad cold not to long ago and was having problems breathing. The doctors had given him an inhaler for the exercise induced asthma so he was using it to help with his breathing.

We had to take him to the doctor, and the doctor told him not to use his inhaler since he wasn’t wheezing and said it wouldn’t do him any good. I know for a fact, that just because you aren’t wheezing, it doesn’t mean that inhalers not going to help your breathing.

Some people with asthma have it worse than others. I practically spent the first 7 years of my life in the hospital. Asthma is diagnosed by its severity. Though it also depends on the doctor.