Islanders with asthma should prepare for flu season, doctor says | CBC News

The weather is getting colder in P.E.I., and for Islanders with asthma, it’s time to get ready.

Dr. Jason Chan says people with the chronic condition tend to have a tougher time during the flu season as there are additional triggers in the environment that can set off their asthma. 

“When you have asthma, you tend to hyper-react to everything, so different allergens or things like dust, chemicals perfumes and … germs,” Chan said.

Asthma attacks can lead to symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and lots of mucus production.

The increased likelihood of flare-ups during the colder seasons means people with asthma may be taking more days off from work or school. Those with more severe conditions are also more likely to end up in the emergency room, Chan said.

“If you’re bad enough to end up in the hospital, chances are that the doctors are going to put you on some strong steroid medications, which in that context is super appropriate, … but can cause a lot of long-term side effects,” he said. “Things like diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis.”

Keep puffers up-to-date

To help prevent those kinds of situations, Chan said asthmatics must make sure their puffers aren’t expired and that they have medication in them.

“You can tell just by doing like a test dose out in the air and look for that mist that comes out. If there’s no mist, then there’s no medication inside.”

Those who haven’t used their puffers in a while must start taking them before the cold begins as it does take a while for the medicine to kick in, Chan said.

“Asthmatics will generally carry two types of puffers, so no. 1 would be their controller or prevention medication,” he said. “If you don’t take it on a regular basis, then it can’t help you prevent anything.

“And then the other type of puffer that most asthmatics should have would be what I call a rescue inhaler…. The way to think about this puffer is that it’s sort of like your ‘get out of jail free’ card in Monopoly. If you aren’t in jail, then you never need to use [it].”

Rescue inhalers are usually white or blue depending on the brand, while the other type of puffer is usually orange or brown.

Chan said that if people control their asthma well, they shouldn’t ever have to use their rescue inhalers.

Prepare with an action plan

If you’re struggling with proper puffer technique, having an AeroChamber — a short muzzle you put over the mouth of the puffer — can make the administration of the medicine easier, Chan said.

Chan said every asthmatic should have an action plan they review every year with their doctor.

The plan includes a set of instructions on what they should do if their condition worsens, and has prescriptions for medicine they might need during a flare-up, like extra puffers, antibiotics or steroid pills.

“If you find yourself in a pickle, then you can just go to your pharmacy and fill these prescriptions and nip it in the bud and that’ll save you, you know, like an eight-hour wait at the emerge or a two-week appointment wait for their primary care provider,” Chan said.

Asthmatics should also be fully up-to-date with their flu and vaccine shots.

“[They] get more sick in general and they get more serious infections, … so making sure you’re fully vaccinated can help,” Chan said. 

“If you’re a smoker or if you vape, those are also known triggers as well. So make a plan to quit, and in general just make sure your environment is as trigger-free as possible. So making sure you’re washing your linen on a regular basis, keeping your pets off the couch and the bed, avoiding scents and perfumes, and stuff like that.”