| Asthma is a breathing problem that makes it more | | | | are allergic to pollen, pets, or dust are at higher risk of |
| difficult for you to get air in and out of your lungs. | | | | developing asthma. Pollutants such as ozone and |
| When a person has asthma, the breathing tubes are | | | | particulate matter can make asthma worse and trigger |
| sensitive. They may react to smoke, pollen, dust, air | | | | asthma attacks. Some medications which treat heart |
| pollution, allergies, or other triggers. In a person with | | | | disease and high blood pressure may cause asthma |
| asthma, the breathing tubes may tighten, becoming | | | | symptoms or make asthma worse. Proper |
| inflamed and swollen. It may get serious and fatal at | | | | medications and prescription needs to be taken. |
| times. When the breathing tubes react or when they | | | | Successful treatment of asthma needs cooperation |
| get inflamed, they become narrow. That makes it | | | | between the patient and the health care provider. If |
| harder for you to breathe fresh air in and stale air out. | | | | you have asthma, you have to know your own body |
| Your difficulty in breathing may change, sometimes | | | | well so you can notice when changes happen. Asthma |
| you will feel fine and sometimes you may have | | | | gives early warning signs of trouble. You also have to |
| breathing problems. | | | | work closely with a health care provider. You need to |
| In older people, it is sometimes difficult to decide | | | | know what the best treatments for you are. Many |
| whether the problem is asthma or another lung | | | | good treatments for asthma are available today. The |
| disease or heart disease. Other lung diseases that | | | | treatments will relax the air tubes in your lungs and |
| cause similar problems are bronchitis and emphysema, | | | | help you breathe easier. The treatments reduce the |
| particularly common in people who smoke. There are | | | | swelling and inflammation in the air tubes. |
| many symptoms for asthma; a wheezing sound can | | | | Good treatment for your asthma means working with |
| be heard while breathing when you have a cold or a | | | | your health care provider on a regular basis, not buying |
| feeling that you can't take enough air into your lungs, | | | | drugstore remedies that may be expensive and may |
| the chest may feel tight in cold or problems quite often. | | | | not treat the problem. In fact, asthma may also be |
| Sometimes mucus comes while coughing and it may | | | | triggered by over the counter drugs. Some drugs may |
| last more than a week, at times the cough often | | | | cause problems for people with asthma causing |
| comes back. | | | | irregular heart beats (cardiac arrhythmias). |
| The causes for asthma are difficult to make out. For | | | | It's important to follow your health care provider's |
| many people, a tendency to asthma may be inherited. | | | | advice about your treatment. Some medicines help |
| Other factors may also be involved. The basic | | | | prevent asthma. You need to take these medicines all |
| problem is inflammation of the airways. Some times | | | | the time, even when you feel well. Other medicines |
| the problem involved are; smoking cigarettes, cigars, | | | | may be needed if your asthma starts to get worse. If |
| pipes, or anything else, increases your risk of | | | | your asthma is getting worse, it's important to start |
| developing asthma symptoms. Asthma can be in the | | | | treatment early, as soon as your symptoms begin. It is |
| family, inherited. A blood relative with asthma or | | | | a chronic disease, like diabetes or heart problems. You |
| allergies (father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter), | | | | need a health care provider who knows how to treat |
| you are at higher risk of getting asthma. People who | | | | asthma. |