What is asthma?

Asthma commonly affects children, but it can also occur at any time in life. If asthma affects you as an adult, it’s possible that you have had very mild symptoms as a child but were not aware it was asthma. Asthma can also worsen as a result of smoking or obesity.

There are about 30 different triggers that can cause asthma to flare up. Among these are dust mites, pets, cold air, pollen, pollution and more. This is because the airways are exposed to irritating or allergenic substances.

When you have an asthma attack, the airway muscles constrict while the mucus membranes swell. A mucus is then produced in the airways which makes restricts the movements of the cilia, making it difficult to breathe. This is when the first symptoms can be cough and an increase in mucus.

The most common symptoms of asthma are wheezing and chest tightness, coughing with mucus and shortness of breath. You can also get a long-lasting cough every time you get a cold. The symptoms may appear as an attack. If you are unsure if you or someone close to you have asthma, it is always good to do an asthma examination at a clinic so you get the best treatment available.

Being active and moving is good both mentally and physically even for you with asthma.

As an asthmatic, physical exertion can be painful. It is important to warm up properly before exercise, especially when the air is cold and dry. With good treatment most asthmatics can train without symptoms!

Asthma can be treated with two types of treatment of medications: anti-inflammatory treatment to reduce the underlying inflammation in the airways and quick reliever medications that is used in urgent situations.

It’s possible to be completely symptom-free! Unfortunately asthma cannot be cured and is a chronic condition, but if it starts off as childhood asthma, there’s a relatively good chance of having milder asthma as the child grows up.