Riley Fullmer

English 1010

Dr. Haslam

5-7-20

Jason Fullmer grew up in Taylorsville and has lived in Utah for over 40 years. He’s an

active person who enjoys lifting weights, dirt biking, and is an avid hiker. He has grown up with

asthma which makes it difficult for him to breathe. Most people tell him it’s exercise-induced

asthma but his affects him in other situations as well. He was just like any other teenage boy who

loved soccer and that’s what would take up most of his time. Growing up, he’d have to stay

inside due to bad air quality to help prevent his lungs from closing up. However, it was hard for

him to be inside while his friends were outside playing. Doctors say that inhaling smog is like

getting a sunburn on your lungs. This is what can trigger asthma attacks similar to the ones that

Jason gets.

The Utah Department of Health explains how the Utah Recess Guidance for schools was

first created in 2004 to help determine whether students should be indoors or outdoors based on

the air quality. They say if the levels are green and yellow all students can go outside, orange is

for those such as Jason with asthma to stay inside, and red and purple levels all students stay

indoors. While schools are aware of how it can affect people like Jason, children aren’t getting

the exercise they need. One of Jason’s favorite activities is anything outside. He says it not only

makes him feel energized but happy too.

 Jason was going on just another hike one morning to Lone Peak when his asthma started

to affect him. He was about two miles in when his lungs felt like they were closing off and he

had difficulty breathing.

“The air almost had a dirty taste to it and was thick and hazy that day,” Jason said. The

further into his hike, the harder it was to get enough oxygen and continue on, due to the bad air

quality. According to the United States Environmental Agency, greenhouse gas emissions that

are released in the air can affect health issues like asthma.

Eventually, he wasn’t able to continue on the hike and had to return home before

reaching the end. Jason says when he got home he had to take it easy, rest, and do breathing

treatments to get air into his lungs.

“Sometimes I get discouraged because I have to give up on activities due to my asthma,”

says Jason.

A few weeks later when the air had cleared up, he decided to try the hike again.

“It was so much easier that time,” he said. It wasn’t the fact that he was in better shape, it

had only been a couple of weeks, but that the air was better that day so he was able to complete

the hike without having his airways closing off.

This is just one experience when he had to miss out on an outside activity due to his

asthma. Jason explains how asthma can affect his way of life and what changes he has to make to

adapt to his situation. He has to be prepared for an asthma attack at any time with his inhaler on

hand, and know the symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, and a tight feeling in the

chest.
 While he knows that he might have to miss out on activities to take care of his health, he

still wonders if he’ll ever be able to go outside without having an asthma attack. Unfortunately

for Jason and many others, there is no cure for asthma, but can be maintained with different

medications. The only way for him to not have another attack is for the air quality to be better.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, ozone is what triggers asthma

because it irritates the lungs. Ways we can help have a healthier community is by recycling

non-biodegradable waste instead of burning it to help reduce greenhouse gases that deplete the

ozone layer.

Word Count:675
 Works Cited

AAFA. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2020, from

https://www.aafa.org/air-pollution-smog-asthma/

Air Quality Recess Guidance for Schools Now Available: Guidance helps principals know

when to keep kids inside on bad air days. (2017, January 17). Retrieved from

https://health.utah.gov/featured-news/air-quality-recess-guidance-for-schools-now-availabl

e-guidance-helps-principals-know-when-to-keep-kids-inside-on-bad-air-days

Recycling: A Component of Strong Community Development. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20,

2020, from

https://archive.epa.gov/region4/rcra/mgtoolkit/web/pdf/community_fact_sheet.pdf