What Does It Feel Like to Have Asthma?

When I teach classes about asthma, I start with "this is what it feels like to have asthma" exercise.  (If anyone in the class has asthma, we do NOT have them participate!) 

 

We start by:

 

• Passing out coffee straws
• Have the participants jog in place for 30 seconds
• Plug their nose
• Then breathe ONLY through the straw 

I watch their faces as they try to suck through the straw. 

 

Then we ask them: "How do you feel? Can you get all the air you need? Are you starting to panic a little because you can't breathe?" 

Then we have them pull out the straw.

People often say that not only can't they get enough air, but they are scared because they can't breathe. 

Welcome to my world! 

 

When you can't breathe, it is scary, and you can panic. Then that makes it harder to breathe. It's a vicious cycle. 

Then I tell them:

 

 "This is what it feels like to have asthma. Except, we can't take our straw out and breathe normally."

I see many people in the class have that "Aha!" moment.

UNC_Chapel Hill has instructions of how to do this if you want to try it with a school group, scouts, etc.

 

Pass around a trash can immediately after the exercise and collect the straws. Especially if it's a group of kids (or adults!) who might keep chewing on the straw.