Air Pollution Produces Asthma
Dumisile Magagula
Date: 19 July 2024
Name: Dumisile Magagula
Place: Empumelelweni
Municipality: Emalahleni Local Municipality
Air pollution produces asthma
#INCURABLEASTHMA
Asthma is a serious chronic disease that has no cure. Living in Emalahleni is like you are in hell. You have to fight for your life, said Olga Mathibela. A mother of a young boy who has been diagnosed with Asthma.
While she was pregnant she was happy that she would give birth to a lovely, healthy strong baby boy. “Unfortunately, I gave birth to a child that is not healthy, he was sick all the time, I used to be in and out visiting different doctors for the health of my son not knowing what is the problem,” she said.
In 2016 when he was born, he was diagnosed after 3 months that he was asthmatic at P H Hospital by doctor Mtsweni, he stayed there for a month for doctors to find what type of asthma he had. She said the cause of the sickness was that she was inhaling polluted air throughout her pregnancy, she also said she never smoked in her life. It is clear that the air of Emalahleni is polluted in so many ways, and that is why her child is sick.
After 3 months, the doctor told her that her child was sick with asthma, he was born in 2016 on the 23rd of August. It was painful to hear that, my question was where will I get money to buy the medication that the doctor prescribed? I was told to buy 10 medicines and also the mobilizer for my child to survive “she said”
The child is affected because there is food that he cannot eat as a result of allergies. The mother is not working. With no income coming in, she can’t afford to buy all the medical prescriptions.
This is because of inhaling polluted air filled with all types of chemicals caused by mines that surround the area left and right. As a result of the man-made mountains, my child got asthma through me,” she said with tears rolling down her eyes.
“In the house, I make sure nothing brings in the dust, I avoid letting him play outside most of the time. I’m taking care of him as the doctor said, give him medicine on time,” she said.
- Immediate action for asthma is to always give an adrenaline injector first, she said she always reads books about asthma and also planning to relocate to Venda
