'Changes in weather, vapes and air fresheners trigger life-threatening asthma attacks': Mum-of-two's 20-year ordeal
“Fighting for breath is a terrifying experience, there are times my husband has been so worried about my health that he’s been forced to call an ambulance. I’ve spent weeks in hospital, away from my children - that’s hard to take.”
“I was diagnosed with normal asthma when I was 20 at university. My symptoms started getting worse so I went to the GP,” she told the Manchester Evening News. Jo, 40, has had to go to hospital ‘more times than I can count’ in the wake of life-threatening attacks. The asthma attacks can be caused by ‘something as stupid as a change in weather’, car fumes or air fresheners - it’s infuriating, says Jo.
“My husband and friends sometimes have to override me and tell me I’m going. I think about how I want to set an example of a strong work ethic for my girls, but they also need to see that health comes first.Finding the right treatment has been a difficult journey for Jo. Years of antibiotics have left her immune or allergic to some medications, and ten years on and off steroids has ‘destroyed her adrenal glands’.
But even with a robust treatment plan, simple things can still ‘floor’ Jo completely. “Flavoured vapes, they absolutely floor me. The reasons for such high rates of emergency admissions and deaths in some areas is likely due to health inequalities. Many of the areas with poor lung health are areas where people experience higher levels of deprivation, which can lead to problems like having no choice but to live in poor quality housing, where cold, damp and mould can all be triggers for asthma attacks or cause lung conditions to worsen.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Waste collection changes risk chaos, councils warnCouncils say government plans for consistent waste policies across England could be unworkable.
Read more »
Thomas Kerr: Nicola Sturgeon must back childcare changes to support working familiesAWAY from the SNP’s internal civil war, other important politics are still going on and nowhere was that clearer than when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt…
Read more »
Three driving changes announced in Budget including car tax riseRoad users should be aware of three major changes following Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's budget announcement.
Read more »
Three changes coming into force for Glasgow drivers announced in the BudgetThere are a few changes happening very soon with Glasgow drivers set to be among those affected after the Budget was announced. But what is happening? Here us what you need to know.
Read more »