|
In the UK, 5.4 million people suffer with asthma – a lung condition that restricts the airways of the lungs and causes breathing difficulties. This alarming number of people living with asthma equates to 8 in every 100 population. In very serious cases, children and adults have very sadly died from the disease.
Having personally suffered from asthma for most of my life, recently I was asked if I would be prepared to be filmed and interviewed, together with my chest specialist, to discuss ‘my life with asthma’. Commissioned by pharmaceutical giant Glaxo Smith Klein (GSK) who make most of my inhalers, the filming will be used in a variety of areas, from the scientific arena to promoting healthy living with asthma, including supporting the charity Asthma & Lung UK. So, this week I am going to share some interesting information regarding this challenging and potentially life-threatening condition.
I have lived with asthma since I was two years old but fascinatingly, it was only about five years ago that I was told by my chest specialist, Professor Ian Pavord, that, in fact, my lungs had not properly developed by the time I went to school and that if I had not followed a career in the field of fitness, I would not be alive today. I remember being utterly shocked at such a revelation.
Apparently, it was clear from my poor performance when asked to take a variety of breathing tests that my lung strength and capacity was very weak. I wonder if you have personally been asked by your doctor to blow into a ‘peak flow meter’ when you have had a chest infection? It’s a tube with a mouthpiece and we are asked to blow into it making one sharp breath as hard as we can. The score goes from 0 to 8. My husband Mike can reach a score of 8 with hardly any effort but sadly, the most I can ever score is 2.5. Having said that, thankfully, because I have been so physically active over the last 50+ years, I have made the most of my limited lung capacity, meaning that I cope really well with my everyday lifestyle and my asthma definitely does not hold me back.
Discovering what aggravates asthma
I had a very happy family home growing up but I was a very frail little girl, initially covered from head to toe with eczema, then developing asthma, struggling to breathe and getting regular chest infections, which meant that I missed quite a lot of schooling.
The doctors told my parents that it was very unlikely that I would live beyond the age of 10 as my lungs were so weak. In fact, so concerned was our GP that when I was eight years old, I was admitted to a local children’s hospital for three months for observation. Thankfully, while I was in hospital I had no asthma attacks and avoided any chest infections. Looking back, I find that fascinating.
My recent filming activities prompted the discussion about my life’s journey and how, in the end, I thankfully found a career in fitness which has helped me to live a long and very fulfilling life, even if I do use four different inhalers twice a day to keep my asthma under control.
Three years ago I was offered an additional new drug called Nucala (created by GSK) which is taken by a self-administered injection once a month. This innovative treatment has definitely enabled me to breathe more deeply and achieve greater fitness and has significantly enhanced my breathing capability. It is only prescribed by a specialist and is not available from a GP or pharmacy and is delivered by a refrigerated van and must be stored in the fridge. The drug was originally trialled on a cohort of random asthma sufferers with limited success. Further trials showed that it worked really well with patients with particular types of asthma and fortunately, I fell into that category.
Looking back, and considering what was different about the environment at home during my early childhood, I realised that our living conditions were very different then compared with the present day. There was no such thing as central heating and inevitably houses must have been a bit damp, particularly older houses – ours was over 100 years old. Nor did we have such luxurious inventions as a Dyson to remove every speck of dust! I am sure the damp atmosphere affected my breathing and this is further borne out by the fact that today, if I go into an old building that is a bit fusty, I can actually feel my lungs tightening and I start coughing… and then I reach for my Ventolin inhaler from my handbag to relieve my breathing. Sadly, such inhalers were not available to asthma sufferers until 20 years after my diagnosis, in 1969.
Thankfully a multitude of inhalers have followed to help ease the breathing of asthmatics in the 21st century but for some children and adults living with asthma, there are still many triggers that can cause a severe asthma attack - damp, dust, animal fur, pollution, cigarette smoke, food allergies – and they can cause horrific consequences. We have seen on the television how some people live in properties where walls and ceilings are covered in mould – potentially, a catastrophic environment for anyone with a chest condition.
So how did I survive beyond 10 years old?
As soon as I went to High School at age 11, I seemed to improve – the modern building and activities of senior school suited my lungs. My parents moved into a more modern house, and with the advances in medicine, I was able to live a more active and normal life initially working as a secretary. At 21 my new husband and I moved in a new high-rise block for flats – where I was totally free from asthma just as I had been during my stay in hospital as a child.
Having gained weight and then learned how to lose it, at age 25, I opened my first slimming club. A few years later I introduced exercise to my classes, everyone seemed to enjoy it and I loved teaching it. I guess the adrenalin that it triggered and the physical activity that made my lungs work harder helped my lungs become stronger, even though they are underdeveloped. Now, 52 years on from that first slimming class, and still being active and teaching exercise classes to the present day, I am immensely grateful for being able to live a full and active life.
What have I learned from this?
Asthmatics should try to avoid ‘danger’ environments like those that are damp and fusty, or whatever triggers our individual allergies. But the golden rule must be to be as active as possible so that we breathe more deeply and exercise our lungs to help them become stronger - swimming can be particularly helpful, especially for children. It is really important that we keep active and exercise every day, whatever our age. It doesn’t have to be too strenuous – I would be unable to run more than a few yards - but walking is perfect!
More great news is that trials are now under way to see if the new asthma treatment, from which I have benefitted so much, might be suitable for children, subject to them presenting the appropriate asthma symptoms and criteria.
In the meantime, whether young or old, exercising in any way possible strengthens our lungs and helps us to stay fitter and healthier for longer... much longer!
Part of the filming with GSK was done at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where my Specialist Professor Pavord is based, part at Bridge4, the physiotherapist led gym that I regularly attend, and part here at my home in Leicestershire.
 At home, for background shots which can be used with a voice-over, the film crew recorded me variously walking through the garden, signing some books for our online shop and thumbing through the photo album I received when I was the subject of the TV show "This Is Your Life" way back in 2002.
 It was a book I hadn't looked through for many years. It always seems a bit self-indulgent to have it out on display but visitors can often get quite excited about it.
As I was looking through it I came across a wonderful photo of Mary, taken on the set in the TV studio during the recording, which I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you.
|
The Bran Layer: This is the outer shell and you will see how important it is providing not only the fibre but the essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs.
Over its run it alternated between being broadcast on the BBC and ITV. It was presented by Eamonn Andrews from 1955 until 1964, and then from 1969 until his death in 1987. Michael Aspel then took up the role of host until the show ended in 2003. It briefly returned in 2007 as a one-off special presented by Trevor McDonald.
