Lucy Fallon’s decision to join the cast of Coronation Street back in 2015 was an auspicious one – the actress has earned several accolades for her performance as Bethany Platt, including two British Soap Awards. While some soap stars reveal little about their personal life, Lucy has revealed an intimate detail about hers over the years.
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Around the same as she joined Corrie, Lucy tweeted: “Got a bottle of diet coke, a warm coat and my inhaler….let’s do disssss.”
Lucy only alluded to the inhaler at the time, but, in 2018, Lucy revealed it “saves her life everyday”, and does so because she has asthma.
The admission was accompanied by a picture on an Instagram story that depicted Lucy holding an inhaler.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a common condition that affects the lungs and causes occasional breathing difficulties.
It affects people of all ages and often starts in childhood, although it can also develop for the first time in adults, according to the NHS.
“There’s currently no cure, but there are simple treatments that can help keep the symptoms under control so it does not have a big impact on your life, it adds.
How do I know if I have it?
According to the NHS, main symptoms are:
- A whistling sound when breathing (wheezing)
- Breathlessness
- A tight chest, which may feel like a band is tightening around it
- Coughing
“The symptoms can sometimes get temporarily worse. This is known as an asthma attack,” explains the health site.
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How to keep the condition under control
As Lucy’s post reveals, inhalers are an essential form of treatment for people living with asthma.
According to Asthma UK, most people with asthma are prescribed two types of asthma inhaler: reliever inhalers and preventer inhalers.
Reliever inhalers help to relieve symptoms when they happen and preventer inhalers help to protect the airways and reduce the chance of getting asthma symptoms, explains the health body.
“Sometimes combination inhalers are prescribed which contain both a long-acting reliever and a steroid preventer,” adds the health site.
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What are steroid preventers?
As asthma UK explains, preventer inhalers contain a low dose of steroids to prevent inflammation in your airways over time.
“This means you’re less likely to react to your asthma triggers,” says the health body.
Potential complications
Although inhalers normally keep asthma under control, it’s still a serious condition that can cause a number of problems.
“This is why it’s so important to follow your treatment plan and not ignore your symptoms if they’re getting worse,” says the NHS.
According to the health body, badly controlled asthma can cause problems such as:
- Feeling tired all the time
- Underperformance at, or absence from, work or school
- Stress, anxiety or depression
- Disruption of your work and leisure because of unplanned visits to a GP or hospital
- Lung infections (pneumonia)
- Delays in growth or puberty in children
“There’s also a risk of severe asthma attacks, which can be life threatening,” warns the health site.
In addition to regularly taking your inhaler, identifying and avoiding your asthma triggers can also help to stave off the threat of complications.
The NHS outlines the following triggers:
- Allergies (to house dust mites, animal fur or pollen, for example)
- Smoke, pollution and cold air
- Exercise
- Infections like colds or flu
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