Fandi Ahmad's youngest son, 11, on living with asthma
Fandi Ahmad's youngest son Iryan, 11, doesn't let chronic asthma stop him from pursuing what he loves - football
Iryan Fandi Ahmad suffers from chronic asthma.
But that is not going to stop him from trying to fulfil his dream of being a football star, just like his famous father and brothers Irfan, 20, and Ikhsan, 19.
The 11-year-old is the only member of the Fandi family diagnosed with the condition.
He said playing sports helps relieve the onset of his asthma symptoms and improves his lungs and immune system.
Iryan told The New Paper with the help of his brother Irfan in an e-mail interview: "Asthma has never limited my activities as an athlete. As a family, we stay active together by playing football and going for morning runs."
The Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) student, the youngest son of local football legend Fandi Ahmad, was diagnosed with asthma, which requires long-term management, when he was one.
He added: "I am able to do any activity and am not limited in any way... This is as long as I take good care of my condition and manage it well with appropriate medication as well as a healthy living environment."
Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children and can be difficult to diagnose, with diagnosis mostly occurring only when they are over the age of five. (See report below.)
With his family's support and care, Iryan finds it easier to deal with his symptoms as they can easily understand and identify his difficulties in breathing.
He said: "I talk to my parents about my condition, which makes me feel more confident about living with asthma. They encourage me to always do my best, ensuring that I keep in the best of health so that asthma doesn't limit me."
But Iryan has had health scares because of complacency, leading to several close calls which landed him in the hospital.
"If I feel an asthma attack coming on, I stop and take long, deep breaths to calm myself. It reminds us all to never be complacent about asthma," he added.
When not in a clean and allergen-free environment, Iryan also experiences sleep apnea, a sleep disorder where the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open, obstructing breathing at night.
He takes long-term control medication such as tablets, nasal sprays and eye drops daily to reduce sensitivity to asthma triggers and the risk of a severe flare-up.
He also uses his inhaler pump and asthma spacer, a tube-like accessory that directs the medication towards his mouth to deliver it to his lungs, before his physical education lessons or sports sessions.
To control his symptoms, he ensures he has a proper asthma plan in place and his living environment is free of potential asthma triggers like dusty surfaces or mould.
Aside from refraining from extreme sports activities and over-strenuous exercise, Iryan also avoids ice cream as he takes only food and drinks that are at room temperature.
His mother, former model Wendy Jacobs, also prepares lavender salts in a bowl of hot water to help him breathe easier.
To optimise and maintain the home air environment in his bedroom and the living room, Iryan uses an air purifier, which uses natural filtration to collect and retain many contaminants, leaving indoor air cleaner.
He said it not only reduces the potential asthmatic triggers like dust and pollen at home, but also controls the humidity level for improved indoor air quality.
Irfan - who is with the Singapore national team and the Young Lions FC - takes "special care" of Iryan. Irfan is always on the lookout for his brother and ensures Iryan is carrying his medication.
He also encourages Iryan to follow in Fandi's footsteps, adding: "With the support of family as well as proper management of his asthma, he can still do anything he wants or believes in."
Breathe easy with these asthma-busting tips
An estimated 334 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, and that number will grow by more than 100 million by 2025.
It is also the most common chronic disease among children - 14 per cent under the age of 18 experience asthma symptoms and more than 80 per cent suffer from allergic asthma.
However, an asthma diagnosis does not mean that children need to limit their day-to-day activities - having an asthma management plan and medication will ensure that a child can still breathe and live easy.
With World Asthma Day on May 1, Dr Chiang Wen Chin, president of Asthma and Allergy Association Singapore, shares some advice, in partnership with health technology company Philips.
What happens in an asthma attack?
Asthma is a condition where the airways in the lungs are swollen and inflamed, which may restrict airflow and result in poor oxygen delivery to vital parts of the body.
Asthma triggers include allergens such as house dust mites, pet dander, mould spores, pollen, microscopic air particles, bacteria, viruses, and changes in temperature and humidity.
During an asthma attack, sufferers cannot breathe and symptoms include wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. If not treated in time, it can be fatal.
An asthma sufferer requires daily medication. Are there any long-term side effects? Will asthma ever go away?
Asthma is a condition that has different outcomes in life, and that depends on appropriate management and medication plans to manage the symptoms when they occur.
In studies, we often see asthma starting in early childhood and many of these children have asthma that 'goes away' in childhood and teenage years.
However, there will be a subset of children or adults whose asthma starts at a certain age and suffer from a relapse of asthma exacerbation in life.
An asthmatic child cannot have vigorous activities to avoid inducing an attack. Is this true?
This is not true. Most children with childhood asthma can continue with daily activities, as long as their condition is well managed.
The only exception is when they are having an acute asthma exacerbation. In that case, care must be taken to avoid any asthmatic triggers: Ensuring clean and healthy indoor air, adhering to their asthma management plan as advised by a healthcare professional, and avoiding sports until they recover.
How can home environments be optimised to help asthma sufferers better manage?
Improving indoor air quality has the potential to reduce many irritants that can trigger asthma symptoms. One way to create a healthy environment is with an air purifier. This ensures proper air flow, filtration of potential asthmatic triggers and control of humidity to improve indoor air quality so asthma sufferers can breathe and live easy.
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