If
left untreated, allergies can develop into life threatening
diseases such as asthma.
• Asthma
affects 15 million Americans,
5 million of
whom are children.
• The
number of cases of asthma has doubled
over
the last 20 years.
Asthma occurs when your airways become narrower,
making you short of breath. The muscles
around your airways tighten and the linings
become sensitive,
inflamed, and swollen.
Sticky phlegm may be produced. You may
start to cough or wheeze. Wheezing does
not always occur – coughing
is the most common
asthma symptom.
Asthma
Triggers
Everyone's
asthma is different and you will probably
find that you have several asthma
triggers.
Common
asthma
triggers include:
• Viral
Infections -
colds or flu
• Allergies -pollen, animals, house-dust,
mites, etc.
• Irritants -
cold air, tobacco smoke, chemical
fumes, etc.
• Exercise - with proper treatment, you
can
exercise. If
you are fit, you are less likely to
be troubled by your asthma.
• GERD'S - Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease -
heartburn or indigestion, especially at night.
Precautions
Signs
that your asthma is getting out of control include:
• Waking at night with coughing, wheezing, a tight
chest or shortness of breath.
• Being short of breath upon waking up in the
morning.
• Being unable to continue your usual level of
activity or
exercise.
• Finding yourself too breathless to talk or eat.
• Needing more and more reliever treatment, or
reliever not
working very well.
Currently there is no cure for asthma,
but we use very safe and effective
treatments that can help to control
your symptoms.
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Since asthma is a chronic disease, it
requires continuous management and appropriate treatment.
According to the national Guidelines for the Diagnosis
and Management of Asthma (National Asthma Education and
Prevention Program, National Institutes of Health, 1997),
asthma treatment has four main components:
• The use of objective measure of lung function
(such
as peak flow meters and spirometers) to
assess the severity
of asthma and to monitor
the course of treatment.
• Environmental control measures to avoid or
eliminate
factors that trigger asthma symptoms
or flare-ups.
• Medication therapy for long-term management
to reverse
and prevent airway inflammation as
well as therapy to manage
asthma flare-ups.
• Patient education to foster a partnership
between
the patient, his or her family, and the
physician and
other health care providers.
Asthma
Medication Treatment
Asthma management includes using proper medications to
prevent and control asthma symptoms and to reduce airway
inflammation.
Asthma medication are categorized into two
general classes, quick-relief and long-term control medication.
• Quick-relief medications are used to provide temporary
relief of symptoms and generally used as “rescue
medications.”
• Long-term therapy control medications are taken
daily to control the airway inflammation in persistent
asthma.
What to Do in An Asthma Attack?
Sometimes,
no matter how careful you are about taking your asthma
treatment and avoiding your triggers, you may find
that you have an asthma attack.
Click
here for guidelines to follow during an asthma attack. Helpful
Links
• www.asthmacontrol.com
• www.breatherville.org
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