WHEN ASTHMA FIRST STRIKE
“Looking back, I think Alya had asthma from when she was born but it first became obvious when she was three to four months old. She had fever and was breathing loudly, could not sleep and was not eating much. I put it down to a chesty cough. But after a couple of days her symptoms became more distinct and began to worsen, and I realised it might be something more serious.”
“I phoned the doctor and they fitted her in that evening. The doctor gave her nebuliser treatment, however, there were no improvements. He then told me to take Alya straight to the hospital, right there and then.”
“Alya ended up being kept in for a few nights. She was on oxygen for a couple of days – it was such a scary time. When she was discharged, she was given a preventer inhaler and we used it according to the Asthma Action Plan provided by the doctor.”
SPOTTING ASTHMA TRIGGERS
“Over the next few years, symptoms would come up when Alya had a fever and we also noticed they were triggered when she carries out her regular spring cleaning at home. We suspect her triggers are moulds and dust mites.”
“Initially, we saw the doctor on a weekly basis. We used the preventer inhaler as per the doctor’s instructions and the given asthma action plan. Overtime, when Alya’s condition improved, we only went to the doctor as and when necessary.”
RECURRING AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING ATTACKS
“When Alya commenced secondary school in 2015, there was a change in her school schedule – shifted from morning to afternoon, in addition to the longer days. We suspect the air humidity and exposure to varying weather conditions has led to her critical attack that year.”
“She began contracting fever, followed by wheezing, breathlessness and chest tightness. Soon after, she was seen suffocating and gasping for air, along with body aches and cramps. Overwhelmed by fear and worry that Alya may eventually stop breathing, my husband and I attempted to alleviate her attacks using her preventer inhaler and medication as prescribed by the doctor, however, there was no avail.”
“When we took her to the doctor, he promptly admitted my daughter to the ICU for emergency treatment. As the nebuliser treatment did not work, the doctors kept my daughter for treatment and monitoring at the ICU for several days. They conducted several tests to ascertain the cause of my daughter’s attack and gave her treatments that will stabilise her condition and enable her to breathe on her own again.”
ALYA IS HAPPIER AND BREATHING BETTER THAN EVER
“At 15 years of age, battling against asthma for a decade and a half, Alya is never better. I am so pleased to see her at the pinkest of health. She is actively involved and excelling in her secondary education like the rest of her classmates in school.”
“She tries her best to take her reliever inhaler regularly and with the aid of the asthma action plan, she knows exactly what to do if her symptoms get worse again. This has reduced the need for her to see the doctor on a weekly or even monthly basis, to keep her asthma under control.”
Source: AsthmaMalaysia.org