May Favourites ❤

2016 is going really quickly, I can't believe we're

halfway through this year already.

Anyway, May has been a great month for me, 

I hope you've enjoyed your month too.

Here are my favourites.

X-Men: Apocalypse

This is definitely one of my favourite films of this year. It's the eighth film in the X-Men franchise and focuses on the worlds first ever mutant, known as Apocalypse, who has awaken after being buried underground for thosands of years and it's up to the X-Men to stop him from destroying the world. This film is set in the 1980s, ten years after the events of Days Of Future Past. Every actor involved gives a strong performance especially James McAvoy (as Charles Xavier), Michael Fassbender (as Magneto) and Oscar Isaac (as Apocalypse). The action is full on throughout and is just as good as the previous X-Men films, if not better. If you'd like to read my full review, click here.

Britain's Got Talent

This has been my favourite show to watch as it's one of the most entertaining protgrammes on TV. Every year, thousands of people from all around the world auditioning for this show and showing off their 'talent'. The reason for the speech marks is that some people don't have talent and they just want to be on telly. That's what makes this TV show so fun to watch. Of course, there are some really talented acts too and that's why this show is such a success. It's currently in its 10th year. Ant and Dec present the show and their reactions to some of their auditions is just priceless. The current judges are Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams. I think this is the best judging line-up as they're all different and have their own views and opinions. The live semi-finals were last week and the majority of acts were really good. BGT is one of those shows that I look forward to every year as it just gets better. I also love the side show on ITV2, Britain's Got More Talent, presented by Stephen Mulhern. As you can probably guess, there's a lot more to the show and we get to see Stephen interviewing the acts and playing various games with Ant and Dec. It's hilarious.

Sucks To Be You - Emma Blackery

Emma Blackery is one of my favourite YouTubers and many inspirations. Not only does she post some of the best videos on YouTube, she's also just released her EP, Sucks To Be You. It features some of her best songs including her single, Sucks To Be You, Let Me Be and Look What You Made Me Do. Emma is currently on tour with Busted and she has also announced her first headlining tour which will be later this year. Words honestly can't describe how proud I am of Emma. She has come so far since she started YouTube four years ago. In my opinion, I think she's really underrated and deserves more recognition, so, if you haven't already, you should definitely give her EP a listen. The songs are brilliant and written by Emma herself. 

Can't Stop The Feeling - Justin Timberlake

This is Justin Timberlake's latest single and features on the soundtrack for the new animated film, Trolls, and is a feel good anthem. This is definitely one of Justin's best songs and the music video is great. It features a variety celebrities including James Corden, Gwen Stefani, Anna Kendrick, Kunal Nayyar and Justin himself in different clips of them performing and lip synching to the song. I think this song is perfect for anyone in need of a positivity boost.

Cheap Thrills - Sia

I think that Sia is an incredible singer with hits such as Chandelier and Elastic Heart. Now, Sia has recently released her latest single, Cheap Thrills which proves to be just as good as her aforementioned singles. Sia sings 'Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight / I love cheap thrills' which is a meaningful lyric as she's saying that money isn't necessary in order to have fun and I agree. The song is really catchy too and I love the video which features Maddie Ziegler who is a talented 13-year-old dancer and frequently appears in Sia's videos. Her dance moves are really compelling and makes the songs even more enjoyable.

'Feel Pampered' and 'Feel Blissful' - Radox bath soaks

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know I love Radox's bath soaks. They're cheap (currently two for £1.80 at Superdrug) and they last for a really long time (you don't need to use loads in order to get a lot of bubbles). They also have really nice-smelling fragrances. I've recently bought the above bath soaks and I can definitely say they're my current favourites. The 'Feel Pampered' contains Shea Butter which enhances the fragrance and smells similar to chocolate. The 'Feel Blissful' is perfect for relaxing as it has calendula and rose which is a gorgeous combination. 

Thank you for reading my blog,

I hope you enjoyed it.

❤

World Asthma Day

May 2nd 2017 is World Asthma Day which is an important day for me

because, when I was a child, I was diagnosed with asthma.

In this blog, I'll be talking about the symptoms and dangers of asthma 

and my experience with it.

What Is Asthma?

Asthma is a common long-term condition that can cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and breathlessness.

What causes Asthma?

Asthma is caused by inflammation of the small tubes, called bronchi, which carry air in and out of the lungs. If you have asthma, the bronchi will be inflamed and more sensitive than normal. When you come into contact with something that irritates your lungs – known as a trigger – your airways become narrow, the muscles around them tighten, and there is an increase in the production of sticky mucus (phlegm).

Common asthma triggers include:

• Viral infections
• House dust mites
• Exercise
• Animal fur
• Cigarette smoke
• Pollen

Asthma can also be triggered by substances (allergens or chemicals) inhaled at work. If you think your symptoms are worse at work, speak to your GP.

It is not fully understood why people develop asthma although it is known that you're likely to develop it if you have a family history of the condition.

Asthma can develop at any age including in young children and elderly people.

What are the symptoms of Asthma?

The symptoms of asthma can range from mild to severe. The majority of people with asthma will only experience occasional symptoms although a few people will have problems most of the time.

The main symptoms of asthma are:

• Wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe)
• Shortness of breath
• A tight chest
• Coughing

These symptoms are often worse at night and early in the morning, particularly if the condition is not well controlled. They may also develop or become worse in response to a certain trigger, such as exercise or exposure to an allergen.

Asthma attacks

When asthma symptoms get significantly worse, it is known as an asthma attack or "acute asthma exacerbation".

Asthma attacks often develop slowly, sometimes taking a couple of days or more to become serious, although some people with asthma are prone to sudden, unexpected severe attacks. It is important to recognise attacks early and take appropriate action.

During an asthma attack, the symptoms described above may get worse and – if you're already on treatment – your inhaler medication may not work as well as it normally does.

Signs of a particularly severe asthma attack can include:

• Your reliever inhaler (which is usually blue) is not helping with symptoms as much as usual, or at all
• Wheezing, coughing and chest tightness becoming severe and constant
• Being too breathless to eat, speak or sleep
• Breathing faster
• A rapid heartbeat
• Feeling drowsy, exhausted or dizzy
• Your lips or fingers turning blue (cyanosis)

If you have one or more of these symptoms, it's important you call 999 and seek immediate help.

Treatment for Asthma

• Inhalers - Asthma medicines are usually given by inhalers – devices that deliver medication directly into the lungs as you breathe in. This is an effective way of taking an asthma medicine as most goes straight to the lungs, with very little ending up elsewhere in the body. Each inhaler works in a slightly different way. You should have training from your GP or nurse in how to use your device or how to help your child use theirs. This should be checked at least once a year. Some inhalers are pressurised canisters – similar to a spray deodorant or an air freshener. You press the inhaler while breathing in, so the vapour containing the medication can pass into your lungs. Some inhalers are not pressurised canisters but contain the medication in dry powder form, usually in a capsule that is punctured when the inhaler is "primed". It is not possible to use a spacer with these inhalers and, unlike pressurised canisters, the powder must be inhaled quickly and forcefully if the medication is to reach the lungs.
• Spacers -  Pressurised canister inhalers can work better if given through a spacer – a hollow plastic or metal container with a mouthpiece at one end and a hole for the inhaler at the other. Children under the age of three may have a spacer attached to a face mask rather than a mouthpiece, as this can make it easier for them to breathe in the medicine. When using a spacer, the vapour from the inhaler is released into the container, where it is held while you breathe in slowly and progressively until your lungs are full. You should then hold in your breath before relaxing so the vapour has time to settle in your lungs. This can make the medication more effective because much more of it reaches your lungs and much less stays in your mouth or is swallowed, where it has no effect on your lungs but is more likely to cause possible unwanted effects. Spacers are also good for reducing the risk of thrush in the mouth or throat, which can be a side effect of some inhaled asthma preventer medicines.  Spacers can also be very helpful for people who find using inhalers difficult, such as young children. As spacers also improve the distribution of medication into the lungs, their regular use is preferred in many cases – particularly for preventer medications – even in people who use inhalers well.

My Experience With Asthma

Like I said earlier, I was diagnosed with asthma as a young child. I think this was mainly due to my parents smoking when I was an infant, which can be one of the triggers of asthma. My mum quit smoking not long after she had me but, unfortunaly, my dad still smokes although not around me as he knows it can harm me. I remember feeling nauseated whenever I was around people who were smoking and I still have to keep my distance away from my smokers as I worry it's going to trigger my asthma. Fortunately, my asthma isn't that bad now but I remember as a child and in my early teens it affected me a lot.

At the age of 9, in the winter, I had an asthma attack. I remember feeling very ill and having the aforementioned symptoms so I sat with my mum downstairs for a while before she took me to hospital. I remember being very scared at the time and nurses running tests on me to make sure I was okay. After a few days, I was given the all-clear and left but it has made me more aware of my asthma. When I went back to school, I learnt that asthma can be deadly as one of the students in my school had an asthma attack and died. It was very shocking to me and it's played on my mind ever since. This is why I'm writing this blog, to raise awareness about asthma as it can be dangerous and it's important you seek help from your GP as soon as possible if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms.

As a child, I used to stay and sleep over at my Grandma's house and she has a few cats, which can be a trigger for asthma, so it was a struggle for me to sleep as I kept wheezing and coughing and I remember waking up in the middle of the night in need of my inhaler which I'd left at my Mum's house. Luckily, we only live a 5-minute walk away from my Grandmother's house so my Mum brought it round for me. Even though my asthma isn't that bad anymore, I still have to be careful when I go to my Grandmother's house as I still tend to get a bit wheezy and breathless.

Another experience I had with asthma was in high school, during PE when we had to run laps around the field which was huge. This was when I was about 12 or 13 and I was a little on the chubby side and, after running round the field once, I felt like I was going to pass out and I remember lying on the floor in front of my PE teacher and my friend having to run inside the changing room to get my inhaler. It was scary at the time but when I think back, I cringe as I must've looked ridiculous, lying on the ground, trying to catch my breath whilst everyone jogged round the field.

Fortunately my asthma doesn't affect me that much anymore but I still have to be really careful and look after myself. Even if your asthma isn't that bad anymore, it's vital that you carry your inhaler with you as you never know when something might trigger it. 

Hopefully this blogpost is helpful and if you are experiencing

any of the symptoms then you must seek help from your GP

as soon as possible.

Thank you for reading my blog.

❤