About 17 million Americans have asthma. Nearly five million of them are children. Many children outgrow asthma in their teen years. Each year, 5000 people die from asthma.

Asthma is a disease of the lung airways. The airways get swollen and inflamed. They react easily to certain things, like viruses, smoke, or pollen. When the inflamed airways react, they get narrow. This makes it hard to breathe.

There is no known cure for asthma. But you can control it well.

How do I know if I have asthma?

Symptoms of asthma may include:

coughing
wheezing
shortness of breath
chest tightness

When these symptoms get worse, it's an "asthma attack."

Why are some people more likely to have asthma?

Some people are more at risk due to their family history. And you are more likely to have asthma symptoms if you live where the air quality is bad.

Many things may start or worsen an asthma attack including:

Being exposed to allergens (dust mites, cockroaches, etc)
Viral infections of the lungs and airways
Tobacco smoke and certain outside pollutants (chemicals or dirt in the air)
Exercise

At what age do people get asthma?

Many older adults have asthma. Some people develop it later in life. Others get asthma as children. The asthma may or may not go away as they grow up.

What tests should I have done?

Chest x-ray
Blood test
Tests to measure how open your airways are
Tests that show whether or not you have heart disease

How can asthma be treated?

There are many drugs used to treat asthma. There are both prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. Talk with your doctor about the best medicine for you.

How do I keep my asthma under control?

Talk with your doctor.
Ask your doctor for a treatment plan. Then be sure to follow it.
Watch for early signs and respond fast.
Stay away from things that make your asthma worse.
See your doctor at least every 6 months.

What to do if someone is having an asthma attack

Know the signs of trouble:

The person has stopped playing or working and can't start again.
They're struggling to breathe.
They have trouble walking or talking.

Stay calm and relaxed.

Remove the person from whatever brought on the attack (the allergy trigger).

Find the person's inhaler.

Call 911 if the person is having trouble breathing or if their lips or fingernails are blue.

Asthma happens when the airways of the lungs becomes constricted and inflamed. The muscles of the bronchial tubes tighten and the airways create mucus that blocks the airways.

Asthma signs and symptoms vary from one person to another. But the most common sign of asthma is wheezing sound.

Accordingly, there is really no cure for asthma but the symptoms that come with asthma can be controlled. Any patient who has asthma should learn how to manage an asthma attack.

The proper management of asthma can include long term medicines to prevent any flare ups of their symptoms.

Asthma can affect your daily activities if you don't have proper management of asthma, in order to avoid this; you have to work with your doctor for the proper treatment and management of asthma.

Managing Asthma

The key to avoid severe asthma attack is to have a coping and support system that will be part of your proper management of asthma. Asthma can really be challenging situation and can really bring stress to a patient but this sickness is not a debilitating condition. You can do something to manage your asthma and make your life more meaningful.

Here are the things that you need to do to manage your asthma:

Follow the proper treatment - patients who have asthma should carefully understand the treatment that his or her doctor had plan for him or her. Don't just stop any of your medications or double your dosage without the instructions of your doctor. Not following the proper treatment might worsen the state of your lungs.
Know what triggers your asthma attack and avoid it as much as possible. Examples of triggers are animal dander, pollen or dust mites.
Monitor your breathing - you have to carefully monitor your breathing especially if you hear wheezing sound when you are breathing. Breathing is one common symptom that will let you feel an incoming asthma attack.
Treat your asthma attack early. Don't wait until your asthma attack got worse.