Islanders with asthma should prepare for flu season, doctor says
CBC
The weather is getting colder in P.E.I., and for Islanders with asthma, it's time to get ready.
Dr. Jason Chan says people with the chronic condition tend to have a tougher time during the flu season as there are additional triggers in the environment that can set off their asthma.
"When you have asthma, you tend to hyper-react to everything, so different allergens or things like dust, chemicals perfumes and ... germs," Chan said.
Asthma attacks can lead to symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and lots of mucus production.
The increased likelihood of flare-ups during the colder seasons means people with asthma may be taking more days off from work or school. Those with more severe conditions are also more likely to end up in the emergency room, Chan said.
"If you're bad enough to end up in the hospital, chances are that the doctors are going to put you on some strong steroid medications, which in that context is super appropriate, ... but can cause a lot of long-term side effects," he said. "Things like diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis."
To help prevent those kinds of situations, Chan said asthmatics must make sure their puffers aren't expired and that they have medication in them.
"You can tell just by doing like a test dose out in the air and look for that mist that comes out. If there's no mist, then there's no medication inside."
Those who haven't used their puffers in a while must start taking them before the cold begins as it does take a while for the medicine to kick in, Chan said.
"Asthmatics will generally carry two types of puffers, so no. 1 would be their controller or prevention medication," he said. "If you don't take it on a regular basis, then it can't help you prevent anything.
"And then the other type of puffer that most asthmatics should have would be what I call a rescue inhaler.... The way to think about this puffer is that it's sort of like your 'get out of jail free' card in Monopoly. If you aren't in jail, then you never need to use [it]."
Rescue inhalers are usually white or blue depending on the brand, while the other type of puffer is usually orange or brown.
Chan said that if people control their asthma well, they shouldn't ever have to use their rescue inhalers.
If you're struggling with proper puffer technique, having an AeroChamber — a short muzzle you put over the mouth of the puffer — can make the administration of the medicine easier, Chan said.
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