The Invisible Chronic Illness Conversation: Living, Creating, and Performing With Asthma

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Many diseases are immediately apparent to others: A cast on your arm, a scar from injury, or a hospital wristband. However, there are diseases that you internally endure in silence. Asthma fits into that second category.

According to the World Health Organization, asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases around the world, with millions suffering from it around the globe. It affects your airways by causing them to narrow, get swollen, and create excessive amounts of mucus.

But there is more to asthma than just the clinical description. There is the lived experience of figuring out how to create a life, a career, and a creative identity while managing something that literally takes your breath away.

Having Lifelong Customs of Natural Inhale and Exhale

The process of breathing is natural and it happens without any intervention. If you have asthma, you must monitor your breathing process.

While others may not detect it, you are alert to a tight chest area, the sound of a soft wheeze as you talk, and a prolonged cough. Over time, you understand your body well enough to recognize the warning signs.

You can manage asthma with an inhaler like the Flovent inhalers, as prescribed by your physician. There is a need for many patients to have ongoing access to rescue inhalation and maintenance devices in order to maintain their lungs and prevent future problems.

You can buy Flovent Inhaler online here to ensure it is always within reach when needed. Also ensure that you continue to seek your doctor’s opinion. The goal is not just to react to a breathing issue that occurs. It is to prevent that issue from occurring before it begins.

The Unpredictability of Asthma

When you have asthma, everything in your life seems to revolve around it. You look up the weather, not only for the possibility of rain but also to know what the air quality is going to be. You think about the dust that may be in the rehearsal space, or the distance between the stage and the ventilation area from backstage. You have inhalers in each bag you ever carry.

However, none of the daily planning required for someone with asthma to succeed in life is obvious, since the symptoms are not always visible.

The Artist’s Challenge When Creating with Asthma

 Creativity requires presence, while performance requires stamina. As a performer, singing prolonged notes, dancing, commanding a stage as a public speaker or creating content under hot studio lights require stamina. However, asthmacan create difficulties for you as you create and perform. It makes it difficult to be as productive and efficient as you would like to be. 

You may need to:

  •   Adjust how you pace your rehearsals. Instead of moving through all of your rehearsals in one day, spread them out over time to allow for recovery
  •   Create your working plan to include time for rest
  •  Select performance venues based on their ventilation and air quality
  •   Modify your lighting set up to limit the heat
  •  Coordinate your travel schedule with your medication schedule.

Strength In Adapting

Asthma does not define you, but it certainly shapes your life. You must learn to understand how your body operates. This will also lead you to prepare for any potential issues regarding your health. It will also help you appreciate and respect your own physical characteristics in a world that often promotes overexertion.

Whether you are building a business, preparing for a performance, or just trying to lead a normal life with asthma, it is important that your health comes first. When in doubt, always seek the opinion of a doctor.

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