Asthma is a chronic disease that makes the airways leading
to the lungs very sensitive and swollen, making it hard to breathe. Viruses,
mold, pollen, dust, air pollution, animal dander, smoke, cold weather, stress,
and some medicines can cause the airways to swell. Things that cause airways to
swell and asthma to flare up are called triggers.
An asthma attack can happen quickly. It can be mild or very
serious. In a severe asthma attack, the airways can close so much that your
body’s main organs do not get enough oxygen. People can die of severe asthma
attacks.
Physical activity can trigger a problem called
exercise-induced asthma. Asthma symptoms are usually triggered by cold, dry air
during physical activity. For some women, symptoms such as coughing, wheezing,
and shortness of breath can occur within minutes of beginning physical activity
and get worse afterward. Other women have symptoms only once they finish
exercising.
Although the exact cause of asthma is unknown, you are more
likely to have the disease if it runs in your family. Asthma is also closely
linked to allergies. Although asthma affects women of all ages, the disease is
more likely to start in childhood.
Symptoms
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Trouble breathing
Tests
- Spirometry—measures how much air you can blow out of your lungs and how quickly
- Allergy and sinus
- Chest x-ray
- Electrocardiography
Treatment
Asthma can’t be cured, but you can work with your doctor or
nurse to treat, manage, and control your illness. Most asthma medicines open
the airways to your lungs and reduce swelling. These include:
- Corticosteroids
- Fast-acting and long-term control bronchodilators
- Managing your disease, such as controlling triggers and using a peak flow meter to check how your lungs are working. A peak flow meter measures how fast you blow air into it.
Other ways of controlling asthma require that you change or
manage your behavior, such as avoiding secondhand smoke, stopping your own
tobacco use, limiting your contact with triggers, and managing other health
problems that could affect your asthma, such as stress and sleep apnea, a disorder caused by repeated interrupted breathing during sleep.
Also see; Asthma and its natural treatments
Also see; Asthma and its natural treatments
