“Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, I began to tremble as the doctor repeated her words: ‘We may have to ventilate you if we can’t get your breathing under control’,” says Annette Stalley, 65, from Suffolk.
“It was a terrifying thought – I’d have to be sedated with a tube put down my throat so a machine could breathe for me. As I tried to take in what the doctor was telling me, desperately fighting for breath through the oxygen mask I was wearing as my asthma attack worsened, I wondered how things had come to this.
“Deep down, of course, I knew. It was because I hadn’t had my flu jab. I vowed then that if I got through this, I would never make that same mistake again.
“I was only diagnosed with asthma about 20 years ago, but I think I probably had it since I was a child as I was often getting chest infections. It wasn’t until my late 40s, though, that I developed ongoing symptoms such as breathlessness and wheezing. Whenever I got a cold, my symptoms got worse and I would always end up needing antibiotics and steroids to help kill the bacteria and reduce inflammation in my airways.
“My GP diagnosed me with asthma, and I was given a reliever inhaler and preventer inhaler, which helped me to keep on top of symptoms. Pollen was also found to be one of my triggers, so during spring I’d take allergy medication too.
“My asthma was under control when, in October 2019, I came down with flu. I don’t think I’d ever actually had it before, so had never thought about having the vaccination as I felt there was no need to. But when I got it, I knew as I was so ill with symptoms like headaches, coughing and a temperature. I was bed-bound for a couple of weeks. But then it went to my chest which got really congested and I had a very croaky voice.
“I tried to power through and went back to work at the tail end of it. I was using my inhalers as usual and tried to struggle on, but then it got really bad one day at home – I was finding it increasingly hard to breathe. I rang my sister, who is a midwife, and she came over to make sure I was okay. I was in the kitchen making us a cup of tea when I got so breathless I couldn’t speak.
“My sister called for an ambulance as my husband sat with me. By the time I got to hospital, my oxygen levels were so low I was rushed straight into resus. I was having a cannula put in my arm so they could administer drugs via a drip when the doctor rushed over to ask if I’d ever been on a ventilator.
In my head I remember thinking, ‘What the hell are all these people charging around for?’ It felt like they were overreacting. But when the doctor told me I might need ventilating, the reality of my situation hit me.
“My husband was absolutely traumatised by it as he had to watch me struggling to breathe on the hospital bed and he was scared he was going to lose me. He’d explained to the doctors that I’d had flu, and they said that was what had probably brought the asthma attack on.
“This is why I have my flu jab every year now and am very careful to use my preventer inhaler every day as prescribed – before, I hadn’t always used it daily. I’d never had such a bad asthma attack as when I had flu, so it focused my head a bit. I used to think flu was not a big deal. The reality, however, is that it can be deadly, especially if you have a lung condition like asthma.
“Thankfully, the antibiotics and steroids they gave me began to work, but even though I didn’t end up on the ventilator, I did have to stay in hospital for two whole weeks. I doubt I would have ended up in hospital at all if I’d had the jab. It could have been much worse for me – I will never take that risk again.”
Flu cases rising while vaccine uptake falls
The charity Asthma + Lung UK recently reported that flu cases have been going up while the number of people having the flu vaccine has gone down. In its latest Life with a Lung Condition survey, the charity revealed that 80% of people with asthma questioned said colds and flu were a trigger for them.
In response to the ongoing flu crisis, the charity is calling on the Health Secretary to extend eligibility for free vaccinations to everyone over the age of 50, as in Northern Ireland.
Erika Radford, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Flu levels are high at the moment, which makes it more crucial that people with lung conditions protect themselves by getting their free flu vaccine if they are eligible.
“For those with asthma, being exposed to a trigger like flu can potentially lead to a life-threatening asthma attack, or in the case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a worsening of symptoms which can lead to hospitalisation. Because of these risks, Asthma + Lung UK is urging people with lung conditions to get their flu jab and any other winter vaccinations they might be entitled to, to help them stay well this winter.
“We also want people with asthma and COPD to make sure they are taking their medicines as prescribed, including using their preventer inhaler daily even when they feel well, as this builds up protection in their airways over time, and always carrying their reliever inhaler with them to quickly treat symptoms if they come on. It is also a good idea to avoid contact with people who have cold or flu symptoms.”
If you would like to receive tailored advice about how to look after your lung condition over winter, please visit: asthmaandlung.org.uk/notjustaseason
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
