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Parupalli Kashyap's Asthma Journey

“Asthmatics cannot perform any kind of physical activity” - this is one of the most common misconceptions when it comes to asthma as a respiratory condition.

With the second leg of #BerokZindagi in full swing, we thought it important to educate the common public about the condition and bust as many myths as possible.

To do this, we paired up with Parupalli Kashyap - an international badminton star and outspoken asthmatic to speak with us and talk about his journey with asthma.

When Parupalli Kashyap was first diagnosed with asthma in 2004, he was devastated. He thought that he would have to stop playing badminton and would have to give up his entire career, which he worked hard for, due to his condition.

Parupalli had faced issues with his breathing for 4 -5 years before he visited the chest physician. After listening to his symptoms and conducting some tests, the doctor informed him that he was asthmatic and said that he needed to start his treatment immediately. The doctor also told him that if he avoided his medication, his condition would only get worse.

As someone who had no direct contact with the condition before, Parupalli was completely shocked by the diagnosis. The only thing he knew about asthma was that it was a respiratory condition and he was scared at the prospect of not being able to manage the condition.

However, his fear was quickly mollified by his doctor who gave him multiple examples of different athletes who were Olympic gold medalists and world champions in spite of being asthmatics. The doctor assured Parupalli that his asthma would not come in the way of his career provided he followed a stringent treatment plan and used his inhalers regularly.

Parupalli emphasized that the diagnosis of asthma had such an impact on his life that he was sure that it was the turning point in his career. It was at this point when he realized just how much he loved playing badminton and how devoted he was to the sport.

He got into the Indian Badminton Junior Team that year. Parupalli was still dependent on his parents at that point in his career, but his love for the sport prompted him to keep practising and to take his medication promptly. In fact, due to his constant practice, there was a significant improvement in his performance after a span of 6 - 7 months and he was able to take on a heavier training regime.

Today, Parupalli is open about his asthma and uses his inhalers in public. He believes that inhalers are nothing to be ashamed of and his journey beautifully encompasses the phrase - Asthma ke liye, Inhalers Hain Sahi which is the main theme of the second leg of the #BerokZindagi campaign.

You can watch Parupalli Kashyap's entire journey with asthma here.

To help asthmatics in India, we have created a Breathefree helpline - 9873 33 55 77. You can use this helpline to locate a nearby doctor or book an appointment.

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