This year, coastal medical centres and hospitals have seen a significant rise in asthma-related emergencies; so consequently, Ellie Bligh sets out to discover why, for some, life in southern Spain is literally breath-taking.
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Coping with asthma in your home country can be tough enough, so once you?ve set up camp in Spain, it?s always a good idea to locate the nearest pharmacy, doctor?s surgery and the emergency department at your local hospital, just in case you happen to have an attack.
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If your Spanish isn?t really up to scratch, then finding an English speaking doctor is advisable, as there?s nothing worse than being diagnosed with something and having no idea what you?re being told.
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Often though, the real difficulty is in establishing what triggers an asthma attack, as each sufferer tends to have their own individual set of inducers - this could be anything from the time of year or the feathers in your pillow to cigarette smoke, cleaning products, pets or pollen.
In some cases, moving to a new area can be enough to prompt an attack and even the tiniest speck of dust can irritate the airways, causing the muscles to tighten around them and restricting the flow of air to the lungs.
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Going on holiday can also affect the respiratory system so try to visit places outside their peak pollen season. For example, if you?re heading back to the UK to see family, bear in mind that the grass pollen season in Mediterranean countries begins and ends at least five weeks earlier than that of northern Europe.
However, the good news is, by the time summer comes to the Costa del Sol, the pollen count is usually well past its peak.
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In spring time this year, doctors in the south of Spain saw a dramatic increase in the number of patients who experienced severe inflammation of the airways.
This was due to a westerly wind, carrying a large amount of pollen. All patients were advised to keep their windows shut in the evening; however, that can?t have been great news for anyone without air conditioning!
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The obvious preventative though, is of course, that trusty little plastic tube so many of us carries around these days ? the inhaler. Most asthma sufferers keep a ?quick-relief? inhaler and a ?long-term? inhaler with them at all times and thankfully, both are available over the counter at most Spanish pharmacies.
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Long-term inhalers (for example, Ventolin HFA) are designed for everyday use and keep coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing at bay, usually in the form of corticosteroids (ICS), bronchodilators, or a combination of the two. These help to open the bronchial passages within your lungs and ease your breathing.
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And, because it?s always better to be safe than sorry, many asthmatics carry a quick-relief inhaler (such as Salbutamol) as this rapidly opens up the airways and gets straight to the root of the problem when the symptoms of an attack begin.
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However, it?s not just inhalers that?ll help you catch your breath whilst living in Spain ? a 45 minute drive inland from Marbella and a 360 meter ascend into the Sierra Blanca mountain range will bring you to the picturesque whitewashed village of Tolox.
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Located at the gateway to the Sierra de la Nieves natural park, the village is home to something of a haven. The Balneario de Fuente Amarga (also known as the Bitter Fountain) is a natural spa which has attracted asthma sufferers in their thousands since 1871, due to the water?s abundance of therapeutic properties and healing vapours, as well as the air?s clarity.
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From 1st June to 15th October, the spa offers a number of therapy methods, including natural gas inhalations and balsamic inhalations.
However, those with respiratory problems aren?t the only ones who can benefit from the spa?s extraordinary powers ? regular visitors to the fuente include people suffering from chronic bronchitis, emphysema, conjunctivitis, kidney stones and various allergies. So, in order to cater for them, the spa also offers eye baths, mud spray treatments, nasal douches and drinking of the water.
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On-site doctor, Illuminado Corvillo, is keen to promote the spa?s advantages.
?I know children who visit the spa every year, whose parent?s are happy to announce that the frequent and frantic rushes to A&E have decreased considerably and for some, they?re now, amazingly, a thing of the past.?
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However, not everyone is suited to the spa environment, so before entering, Dr Corvillo makes sure each person has a thorough check up, to ensure their condition isn?t worsened by the water?s natural minerals.
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Being at a high altitude does have its advantages though, as mountainous areas such as Tolox make ideal places to live for those with breathing difficulties and allergies, thanks to its low pollen and pollution levels, so even if you?re not well-suited for the spa, it?s definitely worth exploring the natural park or simply sitting down for a spot of lunch outside one of the local eateries.
So, if you?re an asthmatic living on the coast of southern Spain, take to the hills from time to time and ease those symptoms with a breath of fresh air.
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For more information on the Balneario de Fuente Amarga, visit www.visitcostadelsol.com