From breathless to bold:
Lisa Learns to Live with Asthma

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By Lisa Nahgon, 18, Cameroon

Have you ever had trouble breathing because of polluted air? Almost everyone in Cameroon is now breathing polluted air that is above World Health Organization guidelines. I was diagnosed with asthma when I was only six months old, and since then, my life has been a whirlwind of medications, doctor visits, and hospitalizations.

I can vividly remember having my first asthma attack when I was 5 years old. It was a normal day like every other day, and my siblings and I were playing in our yard when we decided to have a little sprint. The air was thick with pollution from the nearby automotive repair shop and I could smell the strong fumes from the vehicles being emitted from the exhaust pipe. As I ran, I started to feel uncomfortable, and with each step I took, I became more and more exhausted than usual.

Moreover, I felt like someone was sitting on my chest and constricting my lungs, so I could only breathe partially. Not realizing what was really going on, I continued running to catch up with the others and cross the finish line. As I was running, the tightness in my airway increased, I started wheezing, beads of sweat dripped off my face, and my vision became blurry. I was terrified and began to panic, not understanding what was happening to me. Recently, I realize that the air pollution that day was one of the triggers that caused my asthma attack. My parents rushed outside and found me kneeling on the ground, barely conscious. Without hesitation, they hurried me to the hospital, deeply concerned for my safety.

Lisa Nahgon, 18, Cameroon

In addition to air pollution worsening my asthma, I developed allergies to certain foods, fruits, and even some types of clothing. I had to adapt to a new diet and clothing style. Air pollution continues to be a significant trigger to my asthma, with the frequent habits of burning waste, cooking with firewood and burning of trees in my community, which add to my symptom’s and making it difficult for me to breathe. I would experience frequent coughing fits, wheezing, and shortness of breath, which would further complicate my condition.

When I was 16, I became a clean air and climate health ambassador and began speaking to students and policy makers on the dangers of air pollution to my asthma. It has been a while since I last had an asthma attack, and I am proud to say I have been diligent about respecting all measures that help me manage my condition. A few years ago, my family and I made a significant change that has greatly improved my quality of life. We moved to a new location, surrounded by trees and fresh air. The area is well-ventilated, and the air quality is much better than where we used to live. I can finally breathe easily and feel the benefits of living in a cleaner environment.

Currently, I am a first-year medical student and as also an asthmatic patient, it has given me the zeal to understand the burden of environmental determinant such as air pollution on child health.

I strongly think including air pollution as topic in the study curricula of medical students will be an important step to fight this silent killer. Also, it is important that everyone considers clean air as a basic human right that improves our health. I didn’t have a typical childhood, but here I am, sharing my story and showing that I am fighting for myself and my future patients. I refuse to let air pollution and asthma disability control my life. I will keep fighting for clean air for everyone.

 

The air we breathe isn’t safe