shortiee asks: If I have an asthma attack, what should I do? And why did my asthma begin when I started to be a teenager?
Hi shortiee –
All mammals breathe, and depend on breathing throughout our lives. We dogs count on it even more than you people, as we breathe to regulate our temperature, panting while you folks sweat! So there’s hardly anything I can imagine that’s as scary as the idea of an asthma attack, and the sudden inability to fully breathe.
Now as I say a lot on here, I’m no doctor. They don’t let dogs into medical school. But here’s a good website that will tell you a lot about asthma and how to handle it: http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/asthma-attack
Now one thing you’ll note is that this website does not tell you what to do during an attack. Why? Because it simply suggests that you contact emergency medical help right away. Because an asthma attack could, at worst, be fatal! So that’s my big advice to you – talk with a doctor, get an inhaler, learn about your allergies and do what you can to avoid those substances or get treated for them… and be ready to call an ambulance if it ever gets really bad!
Now as to your question about it happening when you became a teen, again I’m no expert, but I’ll throw in a guess. You see, when humans are teenagers, their bodies are just going wild. Hormones kick in, starting all sort of changes all over. Your body shape changes, your voice changes, you grow more hair, you start to smell different, your interests change… all this happens all at once. So doesn’t it make sense that some “side effects” would come in too? I’m guessing that the asthma kicked in simply because of all these other changes.
Now does that mean the asthma will slow down when your body stops changing? I have no idea. But I suppose it’s not impossible. And even if it does, I really urge you to talk with a doctor, get stuff to help you in case of an emergency, and see what you can learn about your allergies.
Good Luck, my friend. I hope it does get better soon.
Shirelle