Hello. I'm new here.

[WhiteFalcon2017]

I just joined this evening. I was diagnosed with asthma in my 30's. One or two members of my family have it but none of my friends. They are pretty good though and understand when I am bad. Others do not always. A couple of work colleagues have found it amusing. Most times my asthma is under control but there are times when it isn't and since 2004 I have had a lot of rough times with it.

Thank you.

[Asthma-girl]

Welcome to the forum.

[Hidden]

Hi nice to meet you and welcome. Tell your unfriendly work colleagues it's like breathing through a straw and get them to try it. Lets see how amusing they find it then!

I have a very bad cough and got sick of people thinking it is funny and making jokes about it. One day at work in the middle of a coughing fit this guy looked at me, his eyes sparkling with humour and opened his mouth to make a joke. I managed to stop coughing enough to snap his head off and told him to take that look off his face and shut his mouth.

His face was a picture but hopefully next time he will think before he makes jokes about things which aren't funny! I am not saying snap your colleagues heads off but I felt a lot better for saying this! x

[emmasue]

My husband used to not understand my asthma but when he got pneumonia last winter, he gained a healthy respect for the ability to breath! It is something most people take for granted. 😝

Anyway, welcome to the forum! 😊

[Beth_19]

welcome to the forums.

It certainly can be hard for those who have never experienced problems with breathing to understand.

But I agree with coughalot2, give them a straw and ask them to breathe through it for at least a minute and if you really want to challenge them get them to pinch their nose too to simulate having a cold with asthma, they will sharp realise that its not fun

[O-T- in reply to Beth_19]

And to get the lung spasm panic, one might advise inverting a shower-head towards one's nostrils but even so none of it compares - but what can you do? Everyone has a problem at some point that confounds or amuses others, such a pity that imagination seems as much a learned skill as empathy. Chronic conditions include chronic misapprehension from others!

[WhiteFalcon2017 in reply to O-T-]

Thank you. Yes, that is very true.

[Beth_19 in reply to O-T-]

It doesn't compare but it can help give people a little insight into what it can be like, and that can have such an impact. I love a good joke but it's a shame human society has gone so far down a dark path that the horrid suffering (not embarrassment of having done something silly, but genuine suffering) of others is so often a source of amusement.

[WhiteFalcon2017 in reply to Beth_19]

I wouldn't wish asthma on anyone but sometimes I think if they struggled to breath just the once then they might understand better. I agree with you Beth_19 about human society.

[WhiteFalcon2017]

Thank you for the welcome and your replies. I never thought of giving them a straw but I most certainly will suggest it next time.