Tell us about what silent asthma is and what it's like for you
When I get my asthma symptoms, I don't get the typical asthma symptoms, which usually include difficulty breathing. Instead, I often get headaches, which makes my asthma much harder to detect, and after a few examinations and doctor visits in my teens, I have been diagnosed with silent asthma.
Also, tell us briefly about yourself
I am 22 years old and have just completed my bachelor's thesis in business administration at Stockholm Business School, where I spent my last semester studying in Portugal. I am a positive and active girl who likes to do a lot, and therefore it is important for me to get help and have better control of my asthma.
What made you or your health care provider suspect you had asthma?
When I was in middle school, I did a lot of gymnastics and my parents started to notice how poor my fitness was. During that time, I was both very sensitive to sound and light and often had headaches. But that's when I lost my sight one day at school and my dad then thought we should go to the emergency room because there might be something serious about vision loss. Once at the hospital, I got help and they determined that my vision loss was due to migraines, so I was also sensitive to sound and light. To get help with migraines, I made an appointment with a pediatrician and that's where they were able to determine that I had asthma and that asthma was the cause of the migraine.
When were you first diagnosed with asthma? Can you tell us a little bit about how and when you received your 2 asthma diagnoses?
When I was little, I had cold asthma, which is common in children but disappeared over the years, including in me. So I got my first asthma diagnosis when I was a kid and where I only got treatment when needed, like when I was sick. But it was in my teens that I was diagnosed with silent asthma. At the pediatrician I routinely had to test my breathing, where they could determine that I had the classic "hammock" that asthmatics have, I have no idea what it is, but that when you exhale you breathe unevenly. Here I was then told that I had been at 70% lung capacity for an extended period of time, but there was nothing I had noticed more than poor fitness and headaches. After this visit, I have been diagnosed with silent asthma, which I had to check a few times with the pediatrician.
What are common asthma symptoms for you?
My most common symptom is a headache, but at the moment I'm not as affected by my asthma. Of course with a cold, I feel it a little more, but it's more often that I get a headache and feel tired.
You've been told that not many doctors know about the diagnosis of silent asthma, do you feel like you've gotten the help you need anyway?
I have experienced and also met older doctors who did not believe or understand my asthma diagnosis. There, even one doctor, despite testimony from two other doctors, claimed that I was just imagining things and that I didn't have asthma at all. But I have also met many good doctors who have made me understand what my diagnosis means and that I have received help. The only thing that has been a bit difficult is that since I turned 18 I was no longer allowed to go to the pediatrician and that means that today I do not get any help with my asthma beyond my medication.
How is your asthma today?
Today, I am not so affected by my asthma other than that I take medicine daily. I don't have a huge problem with headaches and it's been many years since I had migraines, which I'm very grateful for.
Is there anything you're missing from your asthma follow-up? Do you think a self-care system like AsthmaTuner will help you manage your asthma better?
Since I have asthma that doesn't show up in breathing difficulties, it would be a very good opportunity for me to be able to follow up my asthma regularly with self-monitoring. I also see the positive aspect of it because today I do not receive any follow-up with my asthma and have difficulty knowing who to turn to. Today I also think that I am medicating myself more than I need and therefore it would also be good for me to have AsthmaTuner to help me see when I am at good levels or worse levels.
Also, tell us briefly about yourself
I am 22 years old and have just completed my bachelor's thesis in business administration at Stockholm Business School, where I spent my last semester studying in Portugal. I am a positive and active girl who likes to do a lot, and therefore it is important for me to get help and have better control of my asthma.
What made you or your health care provider suspect you had asthma?
When I was in middle school, I did a lot of gymnastics and my parents started to notice how poor my fitness was. During that time, I was both very sensitive to sound and light and often had headaches. But that's when I lost my sight one day at school and my dad then thought we should go to the emergency room because there might be something serious about vision loss. Once at the hospital, I got help and they determined that my vision loss was due to migraines, so I was also sensitive to sound and light. To get help with migraines, I made an appointment with a pediatrician and that's where they were able to determine that I had asthma and that asthma was the cause of the migraine.
When were you first diagnosed with asthma? Can you tell us a little bit about how and when you received your 2 asthma diagnoses?
When I was little, I had cold asthma, which is common in children but disappeared over the years, including in me. So I got my first asthma diagnosis when I was a kid and where I only got treatment when needed, like when I was sick. But it was in my teens that I was diagnosed with silent asthma. At the pediatrician I routinely had to test my breathing, where they could determine that I had the classic "hammock" that asthmatics have, I have no idea what it is, but that when you exhale you breathe unevenly. Here I was then told that I had been at 70% lung capacity for an extended period of time, but there was nothing I had noticed more than poor fitness and headaches. After this visit, I have been diagnosed with silent asthma, which I had to check a few times with the pediatrician.
What are common asthma symptoms for you?
My most common symptom is a headache, but at the moment I'm not as affected by my asthma. Of course with a cold, I feel it a little more, but it's more often that I get a headache and feel tired.
You've been told that not many doctors know about the diagnosis of silent asthma, do you feel like you've gotten the help you need anyway?
I have experienced and also met older doctors who did not believe or understand my asthma diagnosis. There, even one doctor, despite testimony from two other doctors, claimed that I was just imagining things and that I didn't have asthma at all. But I have also met many good doctors who have made me understand what my diagnosis means and that I have received help. The only thing that has been a bit difficult is that since I turned 18 I was no longer allowed to go to the pediatrician and that means that today I do not get any help with my asthma beyond my medication.
How is your asthma today?
Today, I am not so affected by my asthma other than that I take medicine daily. I don't have a huge problem with headaches and it's been many years since I had migraines, which I'm very grateful for.
Is there anything you're missing from your asthma follow-up? Do you think a self-care system like AsthmaTuner will help you manage your asthma better?
Since I have asthma that doesn't show up in breathing difficulties, it would be a very good opportunity for me to be able to follow up my asthma regularly with self-monitoring. I also see the positive aspect of it because today I do not receive any follow-up with my asthma and have difficulty knowing who to turn to. Today I also think that I am medicating myself more than I need and therefore it would also be good for me to have AsthmaTuner to help me see when I am at good levels or worse levels.
