My name is Panagiota-Maria Triantafyllopoulou and I am 16 years old, living in Athens. Since a young age, I have lived with severe asthma and managing this condition has been a significant part of my life. This has driven me to raise awareness about issues that affect lung health, particularly air pollution and its impacts on people like me. Alongside my passion for dancing and travelling, advocating for cleaner air and environmental protection is something that is close to my heart. My brother is supportive of my advocacy work.
Living with a lung condition presents many challenges, from understanding complex medical terms, to arranging care and fighting for timely and affordable treatment. My experiences encourage me to advocate for people facing similar struggles. I have witnessed how overwhelming it can be to navigate the healthcare system, and I want to help improve the lives of young people and their families who are dealing with similar health issues.
My teachers and classmates know that I may need to be taken to hospital if I had an asthma attack—something that has happened twice in the past. Managing my condition can be stressful, especially when I try to live a life without restrictions like others my age. I must carefully consider the conditions around me when I leave the house. I worry about whether there will be smokers at social events or the environment when I travel. During the COVID-19 pandemic I worried that my symptoms could worsen if I became infected.
Yes. It is a common misconception that lung disease only affects older adults. The truth is, our lifestyle forms the basis for long-term health and this can be affected by exposure to air pollution, smoking and vaping. A lack of awareness means many young people ignore these risks and strengthens the need for more educational campaigns targeting young audiences to encourage proactive lung care.
The recent SynAir-G workshop highlighted the link between air pollution and lung health in young people. Experts discussed how pollution can worsen symptoms for people with lung conditions. In my case, this could lead to more frequent asthma attacks and reduced lung function and quality of life.
It was interesting to learn that daily activities, like cooking, can be dangerous for those with asthma if there is not proper ventilation. We had the opportunity to measure indoor air pollution using portable air quality monitors and discuss ways to reduce it. Lessons like these empower people with asthma to transform their living environments into a safe space.
Young people’s decisions are often influenced by marketing, social media and peer pressure. E-cigarettes are often advertised as a safer alternative to smoking, but increasing evidence links vaping to lung damage. We must work together to tackle this and protect young people from the consequences of these behaviours.
Information provided by schools, community organisations and healthcare providers play an important role in encouraging healthier choices and debunking myths about lung health. They can raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and the dangers of second-hand smoke. It is also important for young people to learn how to advocate for cleaner air policies since many young people are exposed to poor air quality in cities without understanding its impact.
Every day is a new opportunity to improve our lung health and follow our dreams. We must not let challenging times stop us from striving for the best. We are not alone in this journey and there are many people who can support us.
Mary will be joining other patient speakers and experts at our Breathe Clean Air Patient Conference 2025. Join us on 23 January to learn about the impacts of air pollution on lung health and what we can do about it.
Register here
