by Julie Blackburn

For Viv Osland and Ruth Denning, late onset asthma arrived out of the blue.

For Ruth it began four years ago when she woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe.

She recalls: ’I had a chest ailment many, many years ago called sarcoidosis and that can leave scarring and damage which may catch up with you in later life but basically we don’t know why it started.

’I haven’t smoked for 45 years so it really was a bit of a shock.

’I’d had a few chest infections, never anything that really bothered me.

But this particular time it was four o’clock in the morning and I realised that I really couldn’t breathe.

’My daughter lives upstairs so she came down and she didn’t like the colour of me and called an ambulance.

’I was put immediately on a nebuliser which very quickly brings you back to, not normality, but feeling that you’re not going to expire right at that minute.

’It’s quite dramatic, inhaling that chemical in. It really, really does the trick very quickly.

’Every so often they put me on another nebuliser and I had oxygen. I was in hospital for about eight days and they were marvellous.’

The specialist she saw explained that late onset asthma can just come on for no apparent reason.

Ruth now uses an orange inhaler containing steroids every morning and evening which prevents inflammation in her lungs. She also has a blue inhaler which she can use to relieve her symptoms if she starts to experience shortness of breath.

Fortunately, although she has had several nasty chest infections since, she hasn’t had a repeat of the dramatic asthma attack that landed her in hospital.

She says: ’That was quite scary: you really just think you’re not going to get another breath!’

Viv’s asthma began 25 years ago around the time she was going through the menopause.

At the time the connection wasn’t made between the two but more recent research has established that asthma can be brought on by the fluctuation of oestrogen levels at this time which can cause inflammation of the airways.

Viv’s particular type of asthma, known as brittle asthma, is also more serious.

A severe attack can come on with terrifying suddenness and sufferers often find themselves being hospitalised on a regular basis.

Viv says: ’I’ll be fine one day and I can have an asthma attack the next: it’s horrible, living with it.’

Like many sufferers, Viv’s asthma is also associated with allergies, and there are very few things she isn’t allergic to, as she explains.

’My triggers are chemicals which can range from bleach, deodorant, polish, perfume - anything to do with chemicals.

It’s also the heater in the car and, in particular, the hot and cold weather.

’When my daughters were teenagers they couldn’t spray in the house so they used to keep their perfumes out in the porch and spray them on there then go out.

’Car and van fumes are also a trigger and at the moment we’re into the tree pollen - it’s not good...’

Viv, who also suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is on a long list of medications including prednisolone and she nebulises four times a day with ventalin and subutamol. She adds: ’I also have to have calcium tablets because they have to keep my bones as solid as possible because if I fall over and break a bone they won’t operate on me - as well as the breathing problems I’d be allergic to the anaesthetic.

’For that reason I would not have been able to have a heart and lung transplant: I’ve been told I wouldn’t survive it.’

Despite all her health problems Viv is still active on the committee of Breathe Easy Isle of Man, a support group for anyone with a lung condition.

As well as holding regular meetings and social events, the group has bought two travel concentrators which are kept at Noble’s Hospital.

They are made available to people who suffer from breathing difficulties and need oxygen.

As oxygen cylinders can’t be brought onto a plane they would not normally be able to fly but the travel concentrators, which cost £3,500 each, offer a portable oxygen supply which can be taken on a flight.

Breathe Easy Isle of Man is also the local branch of the British Lung Foundation which raises funds for research.

Viv says: ’The only time our group spends the funds we raise off island is for research which is so important.

’I’m hoping that, the more research they put in, the better the medications we can get for people and that’s why we’re passionate about research.’

And despite having been unfortunate enough to develop asthma late in life both Viv and Ruth agree that they feel more sorry for children with the condition.

Ruth says: ’For me it doesn’t really matter. I’m 79 and I don’t feel that my life has been spoilt by it.’

Viv adds: ’I do feel sorry for the young ones because it is so debilitating.

’Now that I’ve got it myself I’ve got so much sympathy for those poor kids.’