Asthma a family matter

By ANGELA GREGORY

A snap weather change leaves Joshua Loveridge, 23, feeling like some sort of natural barometer.

His chest tightens, he finds it difficult to breathe and he starts wheezing.

He is not sure why the weather seems to trigger his asthma, but his body has reacted that way for so long he knows he is not imagining it.

Mr Loveridge has suffered asthma all his life. It was particularly bad when he once worked as a car spraypainter.

The illness runs in his family, with many members on both sides afflicted.

And it has already affected two of his three children.

Mr Loveridge's maternal uncle died of asthma in Napier at age 14 and his paternal grandmother, also from Hawkes Bay, still suffers from severe asthma, which has plagued her for as long as he can remember.

"My grandmother is always sending me pamphlets and information about asthma."

Mr Loveridge and his partner, Mandy Packer, a former asthmatic, now have to face the chronic illness in their two elder children.

Their oldest, Alexus, 3 1/2, had a severe attack around her first birthday and had to be treated with steroids over four to five months.

Their second-born daughter, 20-month-old Areiyal, developed mild asthmatic symptoms at a similar age.

Baby Jorjah is so far free of the disease, but because she is just 4 months old they are not about to predict that she will stay that way.

Mandy Packer said she and her brother developed asthma at a young age when they lived in Wanganui, but she outgrew it when she was about 8.

"But I can still get bad eczema and hayfever, which are part of the same family," she said.

Because of their history the Manurewa family members have been included in a trial to see how mattress covers and special vacuum filters to reduce dust-mite numbers might help them.

One year on, the results had been encouraging, said Mandy Packer.

"It definitely seems to have made a difference.

"I haven't had eczema and the children have had no serious asthma attacks in that time."

She said she was also encouraged to breast-feed Jorjah and avoid overusing antibiotics on the baby to help reduce her chances of developing the illness.

Neither parent has been a smoker and they hope their children will be able to break free of their asthma heritage.

nzherald.co.nz/health