AIR
                                   Currents


Readers' Forum


Dear Air Currents:

I continually hear from family mem-
bers that the severity of asthma
decreases if the child is left alone to
"get used to it." I've been told count-
less times to let my child perform
activities that will cause attacks, and
after a while, she'll learn to over-
come her asthma. My child is 3 and
too young to understand certain
activities make her sick.

My response to these people? I ask
them if they would give lung cancer
patients cigarettes in order to help
them "get used to it."

Please help others to understand
that this is a life-threatening disease
and not something that can be over-
come by continuing to expose peo-
ple with asthma the things that
make them sick in order for them to
get used to it."

K.L., Fowlerville, Mich


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