Minna Lamminen, 37, is a Finnish runner and sports coach. Even after her career as a competitive athlete, she keeps practicing running and lives an active life with her 2-year-old child. Minna also manages asthma and allergies, which is why we at KAMU provided her our KAMU Asthma service to support the daily routines.
–I was diagnosed with asthma at 10 and I’ve had it very hard with the condition at times, due to exacerbations caused by bronchitis, for example. Allergies also trigger my asthma, Minna says. –As an athlete, however, I learned to listen to my body and manage my asthma by taking external triggers into account. Cold weather, changes in weather and temperature and dry indoor air all affect my lungs.
For Minna, managing asthma has become easier after quitting her career as a competitive athlete. Thanks to her background in sports, her general condition is still excellent and her respiratory system is strong. Now living in a cereal farm, she has found the inevitable pollen causing challenges to an asthmatic. –On the other hand, living in the countryside has actually improved my asthma. I suppose that’s because of better air quality, she notes.
Good Routines Help in Managing Asthma
When it comes to managing her asthma, Minna wants to keep herself in good physical condition. She takes her asthma medication regularly and carefully. And her home is asthma-friendly, as well, with pollen filters on the windows, air purifier in the bedroom and an allergy-friendly vacuum cleaner. Minna also treats her lungs with the occasional steam breathing.
Minna has been using KAMU since May. –At first, I used the spirometer daily but now that my condition is better, I’ve taken the test a few times a week. I have a good self-care routine and KAMU of course gives me reminders for taking my medication, she says.
–KAMU is easy and nice to use. It has become a natural part of my morning routine. I like how I’ve learned to monitor my condition, and usually my feelings are in line with the test results.
KAMU Provides Concrete Information on Asthma
– When I started using KAMU, it was the worst time of the birch pollen season. It’s been astonishing to see how the allergy season shows in my spirometry results! Minna says. –With KAMU, you learn about your asthma and how the medication works.
Minna feels that KAMU is especially useful during an exacerbation. –You see how you’re doing and if there’s reason to be worried. You’ll also see if making changes in your medication routine actually starts showing in your results.
The reports that KAMU provides also help in anticipating changes and reacting to them in time. –I actually prevented an exacerbation by reacting immediately when my values started going down. I took more medication even though I wasn’t feeling any changes yet, Minna states.
–KAMU is great for managing asthma! I’m sure every asthmatic finds it useful to have up-to-date data and results about their condition saved on their smartphone. It’s really worth trying out!
