USF-COM
Department
of Family Medicine
Patient Education Information on...
Index of
Patient Education Topics
What is Asthma?
Asthma is an illness that most people have for life. These people
take special medicines that keep them well all year long. People
with asthma get sick when they are around certain thing that make their
asthma worse. When sick, it is very hard to breathe. When this
happens, it is called an asthma attack.
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Some facts
about asthma.
If you have asthma you are not alone. More than ten million Americans
have asthma. For them it can be quite a problem if they don’t take
medicine. For the millions that take medicine and follows what the
doctor says, they live a life without many problems. About three
million of the people with asthma are younger than 18 years old.
Sometimes, as these children get older, their asthma goes away. However,
this is not true for everyone.
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Things to look for in asthma.
People with asthma usually have difficulty with their breathing.
This breathing problem makes your chest feel tight and you sometimes make
a squeaking sound when you breath out. This sound is called a wheeze.
Some people also have a cough. These problems are usually “triggered”
by something. Some on the main triggers are animals, house
dust, cigarette smoke, pollen, mold, perfumes, change in the weather, stress,
infection, certain foods and even certain medications, like aspirin.
After exposure to a trigger, it becomes more difficult to breath.
This is a signal that an asthma attack is beginning. An increase
in your medicines, like your doctor shows you, will help you avoid this
attack. This asthma attack can be very dangerous and can land you
in the hospital. This is the major complication of asthma.
If any of the triggers above causes you to feel like we described
above, then you need to see your doctor to see if you have asthma.
If you do, then the doctor might be able to help you breath better.
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So, what causes asthma?
The airway in your lungs is how we take in air. Asthma is caused
by a blockage of you airway in your lungs. This blockage is easily
reversed, but can be very bad if not treated. The blockage is like
the blockage of your drains when water cannot get out of the sink.
This is like the air trying to get out of your lungs. The blockage
is causes by inflammation. Inflammation is swelling of a body
part, like your fingers when you mash them. This inflammation is what makes
air hard to pass through the lungs.
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Now that we
know the cause, how do we fix it ?
There are several ways to fix your airways.
Most of them deal with you breathing a medication. This is so that
the medicine goes directly (with the air you breathe) to the blocked airway.
The medicine then makes the airway bigger so that more air can get in.
This is like making your drain bigger so more water can get out.
These types of medications are called bronchodilators. Other
medication help with the inflammation. The can be inhaled or taken
by mouth. This other group of medications are called anti-inflammatories.
These medications are all safe but like all medications, they can cause
other problems. The anti-inflammatories when inhaled can cause dry
mouth, fungal infection, and headaches. By mouth they can cause acne,
weight gain, stomach problems, and high blood pressure. The bronchodilators
can cause shakiness, dizziness, fast heart beat, difficulty sleeping and
twitching. These problems can usually be controlled with your doctors
help and most people do not get most of them.
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Everyday life.
Coping with asthma is a way of life
for many Americans. This is done with the help of your doctor.
People with asthma have to avoid their triggers. This is done by
dressing appropriately for the weather, not smoking, reduce house dust,
avoiding infections by getting vaccines, learning how to handle stressful
situations, and knowing how and when to take your medications. There
are several organization which can help and support people with asthma
(some are listed at the end of this handout). Life with asthma might
be a bit more challenging but not impossible.
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Getting support from asthma resources
LIVING
WITH ASTHMA