He may be known for the powerful voice that landed him a spot as singer with the American rock band Journey, but not many are aware that Arnel Pineda is actually waging war against asthma. “Nung una, nung na-discover ko siya, medyo nakaka-depress kasi siyempre threatened ‘yung job mo eh,” Arnel told “ Umagang Kay Ganda” on Monday.
Describing how his asthma affects his performances, he shared, “Siguro mga tatlong kanta pa lang gusto mo na umupo at matulog,” adding that among things like dust, pollen, molds, extreme heat and cold are enough to trigger it. “Yung mold, pag nakaamoy na ko, masakit na ‘yung dibdib ko,” he said.
The 46-year-old rock singer said he first tried dealing with the condition through self-medication. “(Kasi) ‘di ko pa afford ‘yung magpagamot sa professional na doctor so, nag-experiment ako sa mga gamot-gamot na mga dahon-dahon,” he said.
Eventually, however, when he joined Journey, Arnel related, “Nagpunta na ako sa doktor, yung mata-trust mo talaga, honest, at ang approach sa’yo sasasabihin niya talaga kung paano mo i-manage ‘yung ordeal mo.” Now, prior to a performance, Arnel would often prepare himself backstage.
“Bago ako mag-perform with Journey, marami na akong paraphernalia (seremonyas) diyan. Meron akong mga hinihigop para lumuwag ‘yung airways ko,” he shared.
Finally, he advised those who have the same condition not to lose hope.
“Sa dami ng mga available na gamot, at tsaka ‘yung mga trusted na doctors, manageable na siya eh,” Arnel said. The Journey vocalist has joined Glaxo-SmithKline’s Win Against Asthma campaign this year. (P. Aguilera, mb)
