Penny Paquette - Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide

Series Editor: Arlene Hirschfelder

Books in the It Happened to Me series are designed for inquisitive teens digging for answers about certain illnesses, social issues, or lifestyle interests. Whether you are deep into your teen years or just entering them, these books are gold mines of up-to-date information, riveting teen views, and great visuals to help you figure out stuff. Besides special boxes highlighting singular facts, each book is enhanced with the latest reading list, web sites, and an index. Perfect for browsing, theres loads of expert information by acclaimed writers to help parents, guardians, and librarians understand teen illness, tough situations, and lifestyle choices.

1. Learning Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette and Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2003.

2. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay and Sean McGarrahan, 2002.

3. Stress Relief: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mark Powell, 2002.

4. Making Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen, Ph.D., 2003.

5. Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2003.

The Ultimate Teen Guide

PENNY HUTCHINS PAQUETTE

It Happened to Me, No. 5

SCARECROW PRESS, INC.

Published in the United States of America
by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
A Member of the Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.scarecrowpress.com

PO Box 317
Oxford
OX2 9RU, UK

Copyright 2003 by Penny Hutchins Paquette

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Paquette, Penny Hutchins.

Asthma : the ultimate teen guide / Penny Hutchins Paquette.

p. cm. (It happened to me ; no. 5)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents: How long has this been going on? A history of asthma What is it? Asthma defined Diagnosing asthma Asthma triggers and how to avoid them What to do about it? Asthma treatments Dealing With asthma at school When asthma becomes deadly Coping with asthma On your own.

ISBN 978-0-8108-4633-3

1. AsthmaJuvenile literature. [1. Asthma. 2. Diseases.] I. Title.

II. Series.

RC591 .P355 2003

616.2'38dc21

2002153542

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Statndard for Information SciencesPermanence of
Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

For Bob

Contents

How Long Has This Been Going On?
A History of Asthma

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to the young people who helped me remember what it is like to be a teenager with asthma, especially to Amit, Ashley, Alex, Michael, Torrey, Derek, Michele, Sam, Gillian, Chemise, and Katie. Thanks also to school nurses Mary Homan and Paula Dobrow for providing me with background information and for putting me in touch with young people who have asthma.

A debt of gratitude to allergy and asthma specialist Dr. Paul Hannaway for sharing his expertise and for his expert review of the manuscript.

Introduction

I had my first asthma attack more than 25 years ago. I was playing tennis. As I ran around the court, I began to cough. This wasnt the first time that had happened, but I assumed I had a cold and that the cough was a lingering one. This time, however, the cough was so violent that I had to stop playing and sit down. Even after I stopped, I had trouble catching my breath. It was a frightening experience and one that 17 million Americans can identify with today.

If you are a young person with asthma, perhaps you have had a similar experience. Maybe you find yourself short of breath when you exercise, or maybe you find you wheeze during certain times of the year. You could be among those who have allergies and find certain environmental factors trigger episodes. Maybe your asthma is mild and comes and goes infrequently, or maybe your asthma is more severe requiring daily medications and frequent monitoring. No matter what your symptoms are, and they vary greatly from person to person, if you are a teen with asthma, you are not alone. Today more than 4.8 million young people under eighteen have asthma. According to asthma researchers many asthmatic teenagers dont have enough information about the disease. Thats especially unfortunate as information is one of the key ingredients for managing asthma.

I wrote this book to help improve that situation. It is not intended as a medical guide. I am not a doctor; I am a writer with asthma. Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide is just that, a guide. It will help guide you through the information that will help you better understand your condition. There is important information on the changes that happen in your body when you have an asthma attack, information about specific triggers that may make your asthma worse, an overview of medications that can help, and guidelines for monitoring your symptoms to help you know when your asthma may be getting worse.

There is also information from other young people just like you. Young men and women who are coping with asthma every day. They provide a real person point of view that may help you recognize that there are many out there coping with asthma, and they provide advice from a teen perspective. Some of these young people have mild asthma. Some have more serious symptoms, and some have faced life-threatening situations while learning to manage their disease. All of them understand what you are going through.

As you read Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide you will begin to gather the information you need to help you take on more of the responsibility of managing your asthma. If you are one of those young people who wants more control over his or her life, the information here will help you do just that. As you learn to monitor and record your symptoms and triggers, you will be able to give your doctor the information necessary to develop a plan that is right for you.

If you have just been diagnosed with asthma, this book will provide all the basic information you need to begin understanding asthma, the treatment of asthma, and how to cope with it. If you have had asthma for years and now want to begin taking an active part in working with your doctor, this book will help give you the confidence to discuss the disease with your doctor and with your parents. Whether your symptoms are mild or more serious, there is information here to help you become more independent.