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| Home > Living With Asthma > Talking About Asthma > Talking to Your Friends |
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Even though asthma affects a large segment of the population, many people with asthma still don't understand their disease and how it can affect relationships with family, friends, and co-workers. It's always important that those close to you understand your condition. It's not always an easy subject to bring up, however.
Here are some tips on talking to friends, family, and co-workers about asthma:
Explain the disease and how you're treating it.
Sometimes admitting that you have an illness to those around you is even tougher than admitting it to yourself. While you may not want to make a big deal about your asthma, it's important that your co-workers take it seriously. The more everyone around you knows, the more confident they'll be in helping you.
Make sure they know what to do in case of an emergency.
Everyone close to you should understand that asthma can be life-threatening and should know what to do if you have a serious attack. Keep an emergency first-aid kit at home and at work in a place where people can easily find it. You may want to share your Asthma Action Plan with people you are close to.
If you're allergic to pets, explain why you may not be able to visit people who own pets.
Your friends may not understand how their pets can trigger your asthma. Be up front with them. If you don't tell them why you can't go to their house, they may get the wrong impression.
Explain why you're okay one day and not the next.
If you have asthma, it's always there—even if you aren't experiencing any symptoms. It's this unpredictability and variability that can be hard for most people to grasp. Talk to your family, friends, and co-workers about it.
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