Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
You don't have to tell a local about how dusty it is here in Bahrain. And, if it is windy, watch out!
We here, all understand how suddenly our vacuum cleaners and dust-cloths become our best buddies - or our worst enemies, depending on how you look at it! And oh, the work ... the huff and puff! And just when you have finished, it seems you are at it again because someone left a window open!
But spare a thought for those with asthma. The work of keeping their houses clean is not a matter of just aesthetics or even hygiene. It can be a serious matter of to breathe or not to breathe?
It could even be a matter of life or death. If an asthmatic is huffing and puffing, it might not be just from the housework.
Asthma is a condition that usually starts in either very early childhood or very late adulthood, but is most common in boys under the age of 10.
It affects 10 per cent of the population, on average, all across the world and accounts for nearly one quarter of all days off school, according to a recent study.
It can be characterised by an increased responsiveness of the airways to various stimuli, which triggers narrowing of the airways, called the bronchi, in the lungs.
On the end of the bronchi are the aveoli which are responsible for the actual gaseous exchange.
One can even have an asthma attack at any age, in any environment, with no previous signs or symptoms. It depends on what has entered the lungs.
Its signs and symptoms cannot be mistaken. The alarming wheezing and gasping for breathe, eventually losing colour from their face, means that the air is not moving in and out of the lungs as it should.
However, it is more a case of air not being able to ESCAPE, rather than ENTER the lungs. That's right - it's like a one-way valve - air can get in, but it cannot get out!
This can kill in extreme circumstances due to blood acidity rising, and the oxygen that is already in the body being used up and not replaced.
There is another dangerous and unique factor for asthmatics living in Bahrain that needs to be considered, and that is the dry air.
It's not only dust that may trigger an attack. It includes things like a dry environment because this robs the bronchioles of more moisture and makes them work inefficiently.
It's a tough one for asthmatics who live here because the air-conditioning may play a role in triggering an attack too.
So it can be dangerous to go outside and dangerous to stay inside!
Other big causes are cigarette smoke, car and industry pollutants, chemical sprays, perfumes and incense sticks, pollen and other tiny plant seeds, animal hair, and powerful and intense exercise, like sprinting or boxing.
One of my sisters has severe asthma. I've even seen her have an attack after a big giggle fit, or when over-stressed.
Some cases are more serious, and weirder, than others. It is interesting to note that a lot of children do "grow out of" asthma or tend to only have attacks under very severe and rare circumstances after the age of 16.
Asthma needs medical attention and ongoing management, and a good place to start is by keeping your house very clean and pollutant free.
Smoking around a baby has now been proven to be one cause of asthma that the infant will later develop.
The doctor and the asthma sufferer (and their family) need to discuss other things, like what the main triggers are, how to avoid them and how to manage an attack.
Some asthmatics will manage the condition with a life-long supply of steroids and bronchodilators.
You've probably seen an asthmatic use a "puffer".
This is one common form of bronchodilator. Every time, they inhale, a gassy drug enters the airways and relaxes the tubes that have shut down, so that the air can escape and oxygen can more easily pass in.
It often only takes one or two puffs to relieve the patient. Warm, moist air is useful in emergency situations, or breathing into a plastic or paper bag.
If you breathe in your own carbon dioxide, it will, to a degree encourage bronchodilation on its own.
The relationship of exercise to asthma is paradoxical. It is kind of like the relationship of the Bahrain environment to asthma. You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't!
An incredible 80 per cent of asthmatics will have mild to severe attacks after a range of exercises. The trick is to find what is exactly right for you, if you suffer from asthma.
I have already suggested a good place to start is by keeping the environment around you as pollutant-free as possible.
But strictly in terms of exercise, it is also important to find out what works for you.
Clearly, keeping as asthmatic's lungs strong is going to help - the body, after all is amazing and DOES have the power to heal itself in many cases.
Scientists and doctors sing the praises of gentle and regular exercise for asthmatics of any age and severity, despite the statistics.
If an asthmatic can do this gentle and regular exercise in a warm moist environment, even better? That is why swimming is choice number one for many asthmatics.
Can you think of any other activities that will strengthen your lungs in this environment?
The reason why it is important for asthmatics to exercise, despite the risks include the circulatory benefits and increased capillary growth, which is perfect for retaining oxygen in the body.
Exercise will also make the heart stronger and the lungs more efficient with the air that does flow in and out. It will also keep weight down - remember, some asthma medication contain steroids which will bloat and bulk you up - and carrying excess weight puts an extra strain on your heart and lungs.
But forget all that and let's keep it real simple. Regular and gentle exercise for asthmatics retains quality of life and allows them to perform regular motor tasks and a variety of career demands much better.
If asthma is a part of your life, it doesn't have to mean the end of it, or even a change to it. Good luck.
