About 100,000 Danes with asthma are not being treated optimally, and the consequences are particularly apparent in situations when the body is called upon to work harder, such as during sex.
Every fourth person suffering from asthma has experienced trouble breathing or coughing fits during sex, according to a new joint YouGov/Kompas Kommunication survey compiled for the asthma association Astma-Allergi Danmark.
”Reduced lung capacity and badly-treated asthma can hide away in daily life, particularly if you have a desk job and are not physically active,” Anne Holm Hansen, the deputy head of Astma-Allergi Danmark, said.
”So it's during those moments during the day, when the body needs to work hard, that the symptoms such as breathing difficulties and coughing can rear their heads.”
According to Astma-Allergi Danmark, people with asthma who are well treated should be capable of doing the same things as people without asthma, unless they suffer from a very bad case of the illness.
READ MORE: Allergies costing the country billions
Bedroom taboos
The survey also showed that even though every third asthmatic wants to speak to their doctor about sex, only 6 percent do so.
”Asthma, and specifically bad cases of asthma, influences the desire and ability to have sex, and unfortunately it looks like sex-life problems caused by asthma is a topic that most people don't discuss with their doctors. And that's a problem,” Vibeke Backer, a doctor and asthma professor at Bispebjerg Hospital, said.
In an effort to overcome the taboos regarding asthma in the bedroom, Astma-Allergi Danmark has produced a short campaign film that focuses on getting asthma treated and aims to enlighten people on asthma symptoms in the bedroom.
Entitled 'Do you shag like a sea lion?', the video shows a sex scene with someone who sounds like a sea lion during the no-pants dance. Turns out, he is. See the video below.
Fact box
Symptoms of asthma can include:
– difficulties breathing
– shortness of breath
– dry coughs
– coughing with mucus
– hissing/whistling sound during breathing
– chest pressure
– tired/exhausted feeling
