The medical world refers to them as the silent sufferers.
Asthmatics are faced with a chronic disease that can range in severity from mildly irritating to life-threatening. Asthma is common, serious and often appears unexpectedly during the teenage years. The average person breathes 19,440 times a day, and to FHS's 115 or so asthmatics, every breath counts.
"It's like breathing through a straw," said asthmatic junior Jake Canney of the respiratory disease, characterized by narrowing of the bronchial tubes and constriction of the chest area. "I've seen people a lot worse than me, but I've had a couple of attacks that were really close."
"You can develop asthma at any age and any time," said Tim Obermiller, M.D.. Although the genetic makeup is not completely understood at this time, "the answer may be found in your DNA."
Junior Sara Saverud discovered she suffers from exercised-induced asthma at the beginning of the school year after she had difficulty breathing when running long distances.
Asthma is "scary, especially at first," said Saverud. "I kept thinking 'why can't I breath?'"
As the world continues to expand industrially, and pollution problems increase, the number of those suffering from the lung disorder grows as well. The number of asthmatic Americans has doubled in the last 16 years, and students with respiratory problems and asthma constitutes the largest group of student ailments at FHS, affecting about eight percent of the students population.
Many asthmatics, such as sophomore Trina Edwards, regulate their condition by using inhalers.
"If I use my inhaler in the morning and at night, I can pretty much control" my asthma, said Edwards.
However, no treatment is without risk and except in very mild cases, none is completely effective.
In addition to preventive techniques, such as avoiding smoke and warm-blooded pets, drinking large amounts of liquids and keeping humidity low, many asthmatics are beginning to look for alternative weapons when battling the nation's biggest lung disorder.
According to the September issue of Men's Magazine, research at the Allergy, Asthma and Dermatology Association in Portland, Oreg., shows a 15-minute upper-body massage once a week can help asthmatic men reduce pain, wheezing and chest tightness.
While not necessarily curative, "acupuncture can be a very effective treatment for asthma," said Steve Martinex of the Flathead Valley Acupuncture and Naturopathic Clinic. Based on the theory that treatments strengthen the function of the lung, acupuncture "gets people to reduce their use of - if not quit using - their inhalers."
Senior Lindsay Davis is one student who has managed to control her condition through acupuncture.
The treatments "helped a lot," said Davis. "They seemed to keep my muscles less tense."
Although the disease is chronic, with proper care and precautions, most asthma can be controlled, if not conquered.
Canney is an asthmatic sincebirth. But after years of living with, and learning from,one of the world's most common yet least understood diseases, Canney admits he "just might be getting better."