Asthma

Asthma is a condition that causes the airways in your lungs to be inflamed and very sensitive. When airways are inflamed, they start to swell. Every time you breathe, pollens, dust, germs, chemicals, animal dander and tobacco smoke can enter your body. All the different things you breathe can affect your lungs, especially if you have asthma. When you airways become irritated, there's less space for air to move in and out of your lungs. you may be short of breath or feel as if you cannot get a full breath of air. When your asthma is controlled, your airways are a little inflamed, but you can breathe easily. Muscles on the outside of the airways are relaxed and the lining inside the airways makes a small amount of mucus. This helps trap irritants so you can cough them out.

When you come in contact with a trigger, your airway becomes more inflamed. The tiny muscles outside the airway tighten and the lining inside produces more mucus. This clogs the narrow space in the airway making it more difficult to breathe.

When airways are inflamed, they are even more sensitive than normal. If continued exposure to triggers, the muscles continue to tighten and production of mucus increases. The airways continue to swell and the asthma is out of control. This is what most people call an asthma attack or flare-up. At this point action must be taken because this can progress to a life threatening condition

Uncontrolled asthma can lead to problems including: missed days from work, limitation of activities and can be life threatening requiring emergency medical care.

Asthma is a condition that can be managed with correct medications, trigger avoidance and an action plan for management. Self management skills are an important part of successful asthma management. (learn more... )

Triggers

For people with asthma, chemicals, odors, animal dander, smoke and physical activity can irritate the lungs. These things are called triggers because they trigger changes in the lungs. Sometimes triggers cause airways to tighten, swell and produce mucus. These are all signs that asthma is out of control.

Common Triggers include:

• Respiratory Infections: The most common triggers are respiratory infections. This includes colds, flu, and sinus infections. These trigger asthma symptoms because the infections irritate the lining of the airways. Asthma problems caused by these infections can be worse than those from other triggers.

• Allergens: They can trigger an allergic reaction and irritate your airways. The most common allergens are: pollen, mold, dust, dust mites, cockroaches, animal droppings and dander from animals with fur or feathers. If your asthma is triggered by allergens, you may need to ask your doctor about skin testing for allergies. Allergy treatment can aide in controlling your asthma if allergens trigger your asthma.
• Irritants: They can bother anyone's airways, but if you have asthma they can trigger a flare-up. Irritants include odors, fumes and tiny particles. Common sources are perfumes, cleaning fluids, cigarette smoke, air pollution, wood smoke and kerosene heaters. Irritants are common in factories and other places with a lot of dust, fumes or animal dander.
• Exercise: It can irritate airways because breathing fast during exercise causes the lungs to become more sensitive. They may produce more mucus. Exercise is more likely to cause symptoms if you breathe in cold air.
• Emotions: Strong feelings such as crying, laughing and yelling can trigger asthma symptoms. Stress, personal and work-related can be a major trigger. You cannot get rid of all the stress in your life but you can develop strategies to deal with the stress.
• Seasonal/Time Triggers: Some people have problems with their asthma only during certain times of the year. Fall and spring can be hard due to high pollen levels in the air. For a guide managing your condition related to weather and air pollutants, please refer to the Air Quality Color Code Guide. During sleep everyone's airways close some. This can trigger symptoms in people with asthma, causing them to wake up. For some women, hormonal changes during pregnancy or menstruation can affect asthma.
• Smoking: Tobacco smoke irritates airways. It is never too late to quit smoking. If you do not smoke but live with someone who does, you are still exposed to the irritant. This is a trigger that can be addressed with assistance from your doctor.

Remember, you and your doctor need to work together to successfully manage your asthma. An asthma action plan developed by you and your doctor can ensure positive asthma outcomes. Schedule an appointment today, a case manager is also available to work with you as you learn to manage your asthma.