Breath Easier

Asthma (Az-muh) is a chronic disease that affects your airways. The airways are the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways are inflamed (swollen). The inflammation (IN-fla-MAY-shun) makes the airways very sensitive, and they tend to react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When the airways react, they get narrower, and less air flows through to your lung tissue. This causes symptoms like wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), coughing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing, especially at night and in the early morning.

Asthma cannot be cured, but most people with asthma can control it so that they have few and infrequent symptoms and can live active lives.

When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it is called an asthma episode or attack. During an asthma attack, muscles around the airways tighten up, making the airways narrower so less air flows through. Inflammation increases, and the airways become more swollen and even narrower. Cells in the airways may also make more mucus than usual. This extra mucus also narrows the airways. These changes make it harder to breathe.

Asthma attacks are not all the same—some are worse than others. In a severe asthma attack, the airways can close so much that not enough oxygen gets to vital organs. This condition is a medical emergency. People can die from severe asthma attacks.

So, if you have asthma, you should see your doctor regularly. You will need to learn what things cause your asthma symptoms and how to avoid them. Your doctor will also prescribe medicines to keep your asthma under control.

Taking care of your asthma is an important part of your life. Controlling it means working closely with your doctor to learn what to do, staying away from things that bother your airways, taking medicines as directed by your doctor, and monitoring your asthma so that you can respond quickly to signs of an attack. By controlling your asthma every day, you can prevent serious symptoms and take part in all activities.

If your asthma is not well controlled, you are likely to have symptoms that can make you miss school or work and keep you from doing things you enjoy. Asthma is one of the leading causes of children missing school.

What Causes Asthma?

It is not clear exactly what makes the airways of people with asthma inflamed in the first place. Your inflamed airways may be due to a combination of things. We know that if other people in your family have asthma, you are more likely to develop it. New research suggests that being exposed to things like tobacco smoke, infections, and some allergens early in your life may increase your chances of developing asthma.
The list below gives some examples of things that can bring on asthma symptoms.

Allergens

* Animal dander (from the skin, hair, or feathers of animals)
* Dust mites (contained in house dust)
* Cockroaches
* Pollen from trees and grass
* Mold (indoor and outdoor)

Irritants

* Cigarette smoke
* Air pollution
* Cold air or changes in weather
* Strong odors from painting or cooking
* Scented products
* Strong emotional expression (including crying or laughing hard) and stress

Others

* Medicines such as aspirin and beta-blockers
* Sulfites in food (dried fruit) or beverages (wine)
* A condition called gastroesophageal (GAS-tro-e-sof-o-JEE-al) reflux disease that causes heartburn and can worsen asthma symptoms, especially at night
* Irritants or allergens that you may be exposed to at your work, such as special chemicals or dusts
* Infections

This is not a complete list of all the things that can bring on asthma symptoms. People can have trouble with one or more of these. It is important for you to learn which ones are problems for you. Your doctor can help you identify which things affect your asthma and ways to avoid them.
How Is Asthma Treated?

Your doctor can work with you to decide about your treatment goals and what you need to do to control your asthma to achieve these goals. Asthma treatment includes:

* Working closely with your doctor to decide what your treatment goals are and learning how to meet those goals.
* Avoiding things that bring on your asthma symptoms or make your symptoms worse. Doing so can reduce the amount of medicine you need to control your asthma.
* Using asthma medicines. Allergy medicine and shots may also help control asthma in some people.
* Monitoring your asthma so that you can recognize when your symptoms are getting worse and respond quickly to prevent or stop an asthma attack.
Can Asthma Be Prevented?

We don't yet know how to prevent asthma, but there are some things that can lower your chances of having an asthma attack.

To prevent asthma symptoms:

* Learn about your asthma and how to control it.
* Use medicines as directed by your doctor to prevent or stop attacks.
* Avoid things that make your asthma worse as much as possible.
* Get regular checkups from your doctor.
* Follow your asthma self-management plan.

Scientists do not yet know how to prevent the inflammation of the airways that leads to asthma. Scientists are exploring some theories:

* Babies exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to get asthma. If a woman is exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy, her baby may also be more likely to get asthma.
* Obesity may be linked to asthma, as well as other health problems.