Twenty years ago, a teenager named Krissy Taylor was on the brink of becoming a supermodel when she suddenly died under mysterious circumstances. Though later reports indicated that her death was caused by a rare cardiac disease called arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, the culprit was widely regarded as asthma.
I come from a medical family, but I wrongly thought that asthma was just shortness of breath, which can easily be remedied by an inhalant. Little did I know that asthma can kill.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines asthma as “a disease that affects your lungs. It causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. Asthma can be controlled by taking medicine and avoiding the triggers that can cause an attack.” Some triggers are tobacco smoke, air pollution, pollen, animal dander, viral infections, heavy exercise, stress, dry or cold air, dust mites, sulfites in dried food and wine, combustion particles, deodorants, perfumes, air fresheners, paint and cleaners.
KIM POSSIBLE
In the case of young superstar Kim Chiu, her asthma trigger was her pet dogs’ fur.
“I was 16 years old. I had just started in showbiz. Lagi akong puyat. I was also into dogs that time. Ang nag-trigger sa asthma ko ’yung fur ng dogs and ’yung air sa taping,” she shared. “After that, I kept on coughing and coughing, ’yung cough na parang may lalabas na tao sa throat ko! I consulted a doctor, who said I have mild asthma. He gave me a prescription ng gamot and nebulizer, which I bring with me everywhere I go, kahit mabigat siya.”
An asthma attack can be controlled by heeding your doctor’s advice and by staying away from the triggers that cause it. That way, someone with asthma like Kim can still lead a healthy, dynamic and active lifestyle. Celebrities with asthma include Elizabeth Taylor, Diane Keaton, Liza Minnelli, Sharon Stone, Billy Joel and Jessica Alba.
“Going to the gym helped me because it opened up my lungs. Do a lot of physical activities like running or swimming. They’re a big help,” Kim, 24, advised. It’s a big plus, too, that Kim is a graceful dancer.
WIN AGAINST ASTHMA
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and health-care companies, recently launched the “Search for Winners Against Asthma 2015” at the Makati Shangri-La. Kim, together with Journey frontman Arnel Pineda, are the ambassadors of the advocacy (www.facebook.com/winagainstasthma), which is supported by the Philippine College of Physicians, Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Huawei and Folded & Hung.
The Search for Winners Against Asthma is a nationwide search that will run from February to May, eligible to asthmatic achievers aged 10 to 19 and 20 to 30 “who are outstanding in their respective fields despite having asthma and inspire asthma sufferers that they, too, can win against asthma.”
The mechanics are available on GSK’s asthma campaign page on Facebook. The top 10 Winners Against Asthma will be announced and awarded by the third week of May.
FIGURING ASTHMA OUT
This year Kim and Arnel will be joined as an ambassador for the GSK campaign by trailblazing athlete Michael Christian Martinez, who is the first Olympic figure skater from Southeast Asia and who has been living with asthma since childhood. (Athletes who have conquered their asthma include Kristi Yamaguchi, Greg Louganis, Mark Spitz, Dennis Rodman, David Beckham and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.)
“I’m very thankful to GSK for making me one of its ambassadors for the Search for Winners Against Asthma 2015. I’m very happy and excited that I will be able to inspire everyone that even with asthma, you can still live a normal life and make it big,” Michael said over video conference from California, where he is currently in training. In another interview, Michael, who was raised by a single mother together with his asthmatic sister, shared his struggles against asthma: “I was born with asthma, so there were many things that I couldn’t do and not allowed to do—so I was not happy about it since I could not enjoy the things that other kids my age could enjoy. Childhood is supposed to be the happiest time in a person’s life, but mine was different as I was very sickly and was always in the hospital.
“The best way to manage my asthma is timely medication, and I stay away from asthma triggers. The doctor gave me full guidance on how to take control of my asthma and I regularly go to the doctor.
“I believe that any amount of exercise is beneficial to the body, and my regular skating kept my immune system healthier and improved my stamina.
“Asthmatics can also live a normal life for as long as they keep their asthma under control. They can be physically active for better health. As my doctor said, begin with understanding your individual asthma condition, know what triggers it, and check whether it is exercise-induced or not, or if it is caused by allergens or other triggers.” n