Asthma Summary
- Asthma is a condition that affects the airways of the lungs, causing thickening and inflammation as well as increased mucus production.
- Symptoms can include wheezing, shortness of breath with activity, coughing which does not go away or wakes up from sleep.
- Asthma triggers may range from exercise to smoke and even strong emotions.
- Albuterol inhalers are useful for relieving symptoms but if used more than twice a week or waking up at night more than twice monthly then another medication should be taken daily to control asthma in order to reduce reliance on rescue inhalers.
- Lung testing by a doctor is necessary in order to determine whether treatment is needed for asthma; although it cannot be cured it can still be managed through proper care and medications.
Full Text
Do you or someone you know have asthma? Do you wheeze or have shortness of breath with activity more so than people around you? Do you have a cough that will not go away or that wakes you up from sleep?
These are all symptoms of uncontrolled asthma. Asthma consists of thickening and inflammation of the airways of the lungs and may increase mucus production in the lungs as well.
The symptoms can change over time, so it is important to track your symptoms and get with your doctor to develop an appropriate treatment plan. Asthma can be brought on by exercise, smoke, cold air, respiratory viruses, airborne allergens such as pollen, some medications, acid reflux, and even strong emotions.
Medications like albuterol can be helpful for the symptoms of asthma, but if you need an inhaler more than twice a week, or if your symptoms wake you up at night more than twice a month, you need another medication that is safe to take on a daily basis to control asthma.
Controlling medications may not make you feel better immediately, but as you take it daily as directed, it will reduce the need for the rescue inhaler. If you think you have asthma, get with your doctor to do some lung testing to test the function of your lungs to see if you need treatment. Asthma is not curable, but it is a very treatable disease.
Be Safe! Be Well! I am Dr. David Long and that was the Long Story Short.
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