This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of a Canadian leading research based pharmaceutical company. All opinions are 100% mine.
While I don’t suffer from asthma, a close friend does. I have observed him and the occasional asthma attack over the time we have been friends, asked him about it in different situations, and sat down with him for more information before writing this article.
My friend had discussed with me that visiting the doctors over the years for the usual asthma check-up is somewhat of an annual nightmare; and as he suspects, he likely provides a few white lies in relation to his lifestyle, as well as how he is coping with his asthma. He always thought that this was mostly down to his struggles with his diet or getting even half an hour’s exercise in a week (seriously who wants to admit to being a coach potato?).
My friend’s fear of a doctor’s disapproval of his TV regime and more than once a week pizza really hasn’t done him any favors.
In fact, it’s probably not worth having gone to the doctors in the first place (so he claims). So when I actually stumbled across an online asthma test (which is totally free from those super healthy lifestyle living doctors) I thought I’d let him know and see if he would give it a go to get an actual idea of what’s going on with his asthma.
The 30 Second Asthma Test: What we learned
We’ve learned plenty from taking this test – such as that he is using his reliever too often (actually, way, way too often!); that his waking up with breathing problems isn’t simply normal asthmatic stuff and that the odd coughing fit when walking isn’t just embarrassing, it’s indicative of something else…
The short story is: His asthma isn’t being controlled
So here’s the crux of the matter. This test has told us two things. One thing that he already knew – that he really needs to improve his lifestyle, and another thing he absolutely didn’t know: that his asthma isn’t under control.
The moral of the story may be that he should have been honest about his diet and lifestyle with his Doc.
It’s also told us that the things that he has been putting up with as something that’s simply part of being an asthmatic, aren’t actually things that are either normal, or symptoms of asthma that can’t be controlled with the help of a medic.
He’s not alone
All of this led us to wonder just how many other people are out there who also haven’t got a clue about their condition. And the stats are pretty staggering. In fact, whilst 92% of us asthma suffers believe our condition to be controlled, in reality 46% wouldn’t meet an expert’s standard for asthma control.
Take the challenge yourself
The 30 Second Asthma Challenge is exactly that: 30 seconds of your time. If you’re asthmatic then it may well just enlighten you. It might also, like it did with me, give you a little push to actually be honest about your asthma symptoms and lifestyle with the doc.
Take the 30 Second Asthma Challenge
The 30 Second Asthma Test: Why it’s the most helpful 30 seconds he has spent
My buddy is a serial fitness failure. I remember him joining the gym every other year come January and by January 15th he has already failed at managing more than 4 visits. He’s also asthmatic – which is just one of the reasons that contributes towards his consistent failures as he coughs and splutters his way round not even a 1km run on a treadmill (which is as embarrassing as having to try out every piece of gym equipment on one of those inductions… in front of a usually seriously in-shape gym trainer).
I thought that all asthmatics suffered the same issue
To greater or lesser extent, I thought that asthma and exercise were a mix that was always a challenge – something that often required frequent puffs on the blue inhaler. This, alongside the odd day off work for a frantic dash to the pharmacists following an asthma episode, seemed to be business as usual for him– situations that have cropped up over the course of the past decade or so.
That’s where the the 30 Second Asthma Test comes in handy.
This test promised to tell us in 30 seconds flat if his asthma was being controlled. So he gave it a spin.
The results are in, and his symptoms are far from something he needs to put up with
The test asked him questions about when he experiences his symptoms (such as in the morning, during the night or whilst exercising); all of which took less than 30 seconds. In that time we’ve learned something: that the last decade of symptoms have likely been unnecessary.
He has since booked in with his doctor (and handily printed off the results to show them).
Who knows, maybe 2017 will be the year that he finally manages more than a week’s worth of gym attendance, as well as the year that he makes it past the 1km mark cough free!
One more thing – our misunderstanding of his symptoms are all too common
After his test results, I did a little Googling, and I found that the symptoms he had been putting up with are common for many – with almost equally as many also thinking that this is just part of the condition. In fact, research has found that it’s 92% who think they have their asthma under control, whilst in actuality 46% of these people wouldn’t meet the official standards of controlled asthma.
Want to take the challenge?
This challenge is awesome for a number of reasons. Not only does it provide for useful, accessible info without the need for speaking with a medic, but it’s also a platform where people can be honest without feeling judged for using their blue inhaler far too often.
If you do take the test (which you can do so right over on this link here) then consider sharing the test by clicking the social buttons at the end – that’s how I discovered it, and by spreading the word we may tackle that 46% who fail to understand their condition.
