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GENERAL INFORMATION:
What is asthma?
- Asthma
is a long-term disease that affects your airways. Airways are the tubes
that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, your
airways can become swollen and inflamed. Swelling is a reaction to
things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When the airways
react, they get narrower and less air flows through to your lungs. This
makes breathing hard and causes wheezing. This is called an asthma
attack. Attacks are also called flare-ups, exacerbations, or episodes.
- There is no cure for
asthma. Over time and working with your caregiver, asthma can be
controlled so that you have fewer symptoms. Taking care of your asthma
is an important part of your life. Controlling it means taking
medicines as directed by your caregivers and staying away from things
that bother your airways such as cigarette smoke. Your asthma may
change with time, and may get better or worse. Your treatment plan may
need to be changed if your asthma changes. Controlling your asthma
should let you keep doing your usual activities. With treatment, asthma
can be managed so you are able to live a normal life.
What causes asthma? Caregivers do not exactly
know what causes
asthma. Caregivers know that if other people in your family have
asthma, you
are more likely to have it. The following are things that may make your
asthma
symptoms worse, and may trigger an asthma attack:
- Allergens:
- Animal
dander.
- Cockroaches
and their droppings.
- Dust
or dust mites.
- Molds.
- Pollen from plants.
- Irritants:
- Air
pollution.
- Cigarette
smoke.
- Cold
air or changes in weather.
- Scented
products such as perfumes and deodorants, and strong odors from
painting or cooking.
- Strong
emotional expression such as crying or laughing hard.
- Stress.
- Others:
- A
condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease or "GERD". This causes
heartburn and can worsen asthma symptoms, especially at night.
- Food
or beverages containing sulfites such as dried fruits and wine.
- Medicines
such as aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or "NSAID", and
blood pressure medicine such as beta-blockers.
- Certain
activities can also cause exercise-induced asthma.
- Viral or bacterial
infections especially of the upper airways.
What are the signs and symptoms of asthma? You
might not have all of
these symptoms, or your symptoms may change. Your symptoms may also
vary from
one asthma episode to the next. Symptoms may be mild during one asthma
episode,
and severe during another. Common signs and symptoms of asthma include:
- Coughing:
This is often worse at night or early in the morning making it hard to
sleep.
- Wheezing:
A whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe.
- Chest
tightness: This can feel like something is squeezing or sitting on
your chest.
- Difficulty breathing:
You may have problems breathing or feel breathless or out of breath.
You may feel like you can not get enough air in or out of your lungs.
Most people with asthma have warning
signs before symptoms
appear. The warning signs are not the same for everyone. Your own
warning signs
may even be different from time to time. By learning what your warning
signs
are, you can start treatment sooner. This may keep you from having a
serious
asthma attack. The following are some of the warning signs of an asthma
attack:
- Breathing
faster than normal.
- Difficulty
sleeping.
- Fast
heartbeat.
- Feeling
more tired than usual.
- Itchy
or sore throat.
- Shortness of breath during
exercise.
What is a peak flow meter? A peak flow meter is a
small, plastic,
tube-like device that you carry with you. This measures how well air
moves out
of your lungs, also called your peak expiratory flow or "PEF".
Using the peak flow meter correctly will help you better
monitor and
manage your asthma. Ask caregivers for more information on how to use
the peak
flow meter. Ask caregivers to explain how the PEF reading variability
can help
you learn the level of your asthma severity.
What are the levels of asthma? Caregivers often
classify your asthma
to different levels of severity. This is based on your symptoms, how
often your
asthma attacks occur, and the readings from your peak flow meter.
- Mild
intermittent:
- Asthma
symptoms occur twice a week or less.
- Nighttime
symptoms occur twice a month or less.
- Asthma
attacks last a few hours to a few days with varying intensity. You may
have no symptoms between attacks.
- PEF reading variability
of less than 20 percent.
- Mild
persistent:
- Asthma
symptoms occur twice a week or more but not everyday.
- Nighttime
symptoms occur more than twice a month.
- Asthma
attacks may slow your daily activities.
- PEF reading variability
of 20 percent to 30 percent.
- Moderate
persistent:
- Asthma
symptoms occur daily.
- You
use your quick-relief medicines daily.
- Nighttime
symptoms occur more than once a week.
- Asthma
attacks occur twice a week or more, and get in the way of your daily
activities.
- PEF reading variability
of more than 30 percent.
- Severe
persistent:
- You
have asthma symptoms throughout the day on most days.
- You
have symptoms on most nights.
- Asthma
attacks happen almost all the time limiting your daily activities.
- PEF reading variability
of more than 30 percent.
How is asthma diagnosed? You may need one or more
of the following
tests:
- Allergy
testing: Allergy tests are used to help you learn what causes your
allergic reactions. There are many methods of allergy testing such as
skin tests, elimination-type tests, and the radioallergosorbent test or
"RAST".
- Chest
x-ray: This is a picture of your lungs and heart. Caregivers use it
to see how your lungs and heart are doing. Caregivers may use the x-ray
to look for signs of infection like pneumonia, or to look for collapsed
lungs. Chest x-rays may show tumors, broken ribs, or fluid around the
heart and lungs.
- Pulmonary function
tests: Pulmonary function tests, also called PFTs, help caregivers
learn how well your lungs work. PFTs may also help your caregivers
decide on the best treatment for you. During the tests, you breathe
into a mouthpiece connected to a machine. The machine measures how much
air you breathe in and out over a certain amount of time. This helps
caregivers to see how well your lungs are moving and working.
How is asthma treated? You and your caregiver
will make a plan to
treat your asthma. You may need any of the following to control your
asthma:
- Quick-relief
medicines: These medicines are taken to quickly open your airways
and to treat other symptoms. Quick-relief medicines are also called
bronchodilators. Bronchodilators relax the muscles that have tightened
around the airways. These allow the airways to open wider, making it
easier to breathe. These medicines are used to treat asthma attacks.
- Long-term control
medicines: These medicines are taken every day to control asthma
that does not go away. These medicines help decrease inflammation of
the airways. Inflammation is when your airways swell and tighten.
Inhaled steroid medicines are commonly used for long-term control of
asthma.
How do I find support and more information?
Asthma is a life-changing
disease for you and your family. Accepting that you have asthma may be
hard.
You and those around you may feel scared, confused, and anxious. These
feelings
are normal. Talk to your caregiver, family or friends about your
feelings. You
may also want to join a support group with other people who have
asthma. Ask
your caregiver for contact information for support groups. Contact the
following for more information:
- American Academy of
Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
555 E. Wells St, Suite 1100
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3823
Phone: 1-800-822-2762
Web Address: http://www.aaaai.org
- American College of
Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
85 West Algonquin Road, Suite 550
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Phone: 1-847-4271200
Phone: 1-800-8427777
Web Address: www.acaai.org
- National Asthma Education
and Prevention Program
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
Phone: 1-301-592-8573
Web Address: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/naepp/
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