Don’t let asthma keep you back

If you have asthma, you have at least one thing in common with swimmer and Olympic gold medallist Roland Schoeman. You also share this condition with David Beckham, Pink and Bono, the lead singer of U2. Asthma cannot be cured, but it can be managed so you can use your breath for anything from sports to singing.

Take a deep breath

Asthma doesn’t have to slow you down even though this chronic condition makes breathing difficult and can be dangerous. Typical symptoms are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and a tight chest. 

Asthma is serious, but can be controlled with medication and by avoiding allergens (whatever you react to). Usually, a doctor will prescribe two kinds of treatment:

• Medication in the form of a pill or an inhaler to prevent asthma attacks; and
• An inhaler for asthma attacks. With an inhaler you breathe the medication directly into your lungs, so it works fast.

People with asthma find it more difficult to breathe out than breathe in. You can try breathing exercises to improve your lung function. Breathe in, hold your breath for a while and slowly exhale. It’s calming as well.

Ask your Healthcare Professional about what treatment is best for you. As Roland Schoeman says, “Treatment must be tailored to the individual”.

We cover asthma treatment from the Chronic Illness Benefit

Don’t use up your day-to-day benefits for asthma treatment. Bankmed covers your asthma treatment, subject to clinical protocols, guidelines and medicine formularies, once you have registered on the Chronic Illness Benefit.

Registering your asthma as a chronic illness is easy. All you need to do is:

1. Download a Chronic Illness Benefit application form from www.bankmed.co.za / WHY BANKMED / Find a document
2. Fill in your details
3. Ask your Healthcare Professional to fill in their details and your diagnosis information
4.  If you are on the Core Saver, Traditional, Comprehensive or Plus Plans, send us the form by e-mail to chronic@bankmed.co.za or fax it to 011 770 6247. Your treating doctor or pharmacist can also contact 0800 132 345, a dedicated line for medical professionals, to obtain authorisation for your chronic medication (the application form is not a requirement)
5. If you are on the Basic or Essential Plans, send us the form by e-mail to chronicBasicEssential@bankmed.co.za or fax it to 011 539 7000    

If you do not register your asthma as a chronic condition, we will pay for treatment from your available day-to-day benefits.

This article contains opinions and facts and references to other information sources. You should always consult a registered Healthcare Professional for any personal advice.