I am a first-generation Australian, the daughter of Malaysian-Chinese parents.
Looking back on my childhood, mum always did her best to assimilate into Australian culture. When it came to food, she used mealtimes to help our family learn about the many different cultures living here.
Mum used to cook at least five dishes for dinner every night. It was crazy but then again, given that Malaysian-Chinese cuisine usually features a number of dishes in one sitting, we understood why. We would always have rice and curry, maybe lasagne, beef stroganoff or even lamb chops – all in one night. It was like a buffet. Needless to say, I was raised to love eating and enjoy a range of cuisines.
So it came as quite a shock when I was diagnosed as having food allergies and asthma at age 19.
I later found out the hard way that a number of my favourite foods were also asthma triggers.
It all started around the same time I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid). I took a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for period pain and then all of a sudden, my body just shut down. I just couldn't stop coughing. I found it really hard to breathe. It was really scary. I called emergency services and ended up in the hospital.
I was soon told that I had asthma, which had been triggered by the medication I took. I later found out the hard way that a number of my favourite foods were also asthma triggers and that they
One night in my 20s, I ordered pumpkin gnocchi at a restaurant. After I ate it, I wasn’t able to breathe and ended up in the hospital again. The asthma attack was triggered by a tomato that was contained in the dish. I also learned that I am allergic to pineapples. Tomatoes and pineapples are two common ingredients in Malaysian cuisine, so it was really hard to cut them out of my diet due to food allergies.
I now can’t dairy products made with whole milk if it contains the A1 protein. I also avoid eating anything with preservatives, artificial colours or processed sugar because that can trigger my asthma as well.
Eliminating so many kinds of food from my diet has not been fun. It hasn’t been a choice. Asthma management can be the difference between life and death. So I have just put in work to avoid my triggers. It’s as simple as that.
Theresa Tan (second on the left) grew up enjoying a multicultural selection of foods and an asthma-free childhood. Source: Supplied
A new diagnosis in adulthood
Asthma runs in my family – my brother and sister had asthma as children. Prior to my diagnosis, I thought it was a childhood illness I would never develop.
At the time I was diagnosed with asthma, I didn’t know much about the condition either. All I was really told by doctors was to carry a Ventolin inhaler with me at all times – that was it. There was no explanation about the possible relationship between food allergies and asthma in some people.
Today, we still don’t know exactly what causes asthma or why people like myself experience food triggers while many other people don’t. However, we have come a long way since my diagnosis over 30 years ago.
Although Australia is my home, physiologically I have been made to be living in Malaysia, not here.
According to , we understand that it’s possible to develop asthma as an adult although it’s not common.
Around 80 per cent of asthma experienced is allergic asthma. is also starting to explain the role of diet on asthma health, although it’s still early days.
Although Australia is my home, physiologically I have been made to be living in Malaysia, not here.
About five years ago I was also told that environmental factors play a role in migrants or first-generation Australians (like myself) developing asthma. AA confirms that although the prevalence of asthma in migrant groups is lower than in non-migrants, migrants and their children are more likely to have allergies the longer they stay in Australia. It’s an environmental issue. This is because asthma is a malfunction of the immune system that occurs when genetic predisposition mixes with environmental exposures.
That makes sense to me. Although Australia is my home, physiologically I have been made to be living in Malaysia, not here.
So my main message to migrants or first-generation Australians is to be aware that asthma and allergies may be related to some people. Food allergies may not happen immediately after eating. A reaction may happen hours later and be anything from a very painful stomach to hives or coughing fits.
If you have asthma and can’t explain why it’s happening, it’s always important to dig deep and investigate. I realise that it may be time-consuming to seek out medical opinions but it’s a must. People forget that you can die from asthma.
If you’re in doubt, always see a medical professional and you can contact Asthma Australia for more information.
