School, Life and Asthma

Do you worry what people will think about you, if they find out you have asthma? Does it seem like asthma is ruining your life? If you need ideas about how to make life with asthma work for you, read on. You may also want to visit the FAQs page to learn the answers to other teens’ questions.

Tell your friends, teachers and people you work with that you have asthma. 
You're afraid they'll treat you different or tell everyone.  But, truthfully, it may be a lot easier to use your inhaler in front of them if they know all about your asthma.  And telling your friends, teachers and classmates can help you in other ways.  The people around you in school can help you during an attack and may even save you a trip to the hospital.

• Telling your teachers, coaches and school nurse is really important. Your parents can help with this.  The school nurse needs to know what medications you take during school, even if you carry them with you.

• Your school doesn’t have a nurse? Talk to the principal, and ask your doctor or asthma counselor for ideas about how asthma problems at school can be handled.

• Give your school, workplace and coaches copies of your Asthma Action Plan so that they know what to do to help you. 

• If a few of the people in your life still don’t understand about your asthma, see if you can put together a meeting between them, you, your parents and your doctor or the school nurse to work it out.

• If your friends treat you differently or make fun of you for having asthma, they aren’t your true friends. With asthma as common as it is, finding friends who are more understanding shouldn’t be too hard.

Your social life and asthma  
 You can control your asthma AND have a normal social life – it usually just takes some planning ahead.

•  Always take your quick-relief medicine with you when you go out, just in case.

• Think about possible triggers. For example:

  •  Before you go out together, you might need to ask a friend not to wear perfume.

  • You may need to tell your friends that cigarette and other smokes can your asthma.  Ask them to give it up, at least around you.

  • Dancing is exercise – follow your Asthma Action Plan for exercise if it is one of your triggers, and keep an attack from happening. 

  • If you’re going to spend the night at a friend’s, ask if anyone at the house smokes, or if they have pets that will your asthma.

If it’s embarrassing, try telling them that you’re “sensitive” to certain things. Using an inhaler is a lot less embarrassing than having a severe asthma attack and being rushed to the hospital! 

   
Sports, other activities and asthma