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Health Tips
Asthma
Asthma Statistics
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
- An estimated 17 million Americans suffer from asthma, nearly 5 million are under age 18. It is the most common chronic childhood disease, affecting more than one child in 20.
- Asthma is the only chronic disease, besides AIDS and tuberculosis, with an increasing death rate. Each day 14 Americans die from asthma.
- More females die of asthma than males and more blacks die of asthma than whites.
- Among children ages 5 to 17, asthma is the leading cause of school absences from a chronic illness. It accounts for an annual loss of more than 10 million school days per year and more hospitalizations than any other childhood disease. Children with asthma spend an estimated 7.3 million days per year restricted to bed.
- For adults, asthma is the fourth leading cause of work loss, resulting in nine million lost workdays each year.
- Asthma also accounts for about 1.8 million emergency room visits and 10 million doctor office visits each year.
What is Asthma?
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
Asthma is a disease in which the airways become blocked or narrowed. These effects are usually temporary, but they cause shortness of breath, breathing trouble, and other symptoms. If an asthma episode is severe, a person may need emergency treatment to restore normal breathing.
What Causes an Asthma Episode?
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
An asthma episode is triggered by things in the environment. These triggers vary from person to person, but common ones include cold air; exercise; allergens (things that cause allergies) such as dust mites, mold, pollen, animal dander or cockroach debris; and some types of viral infections.
When you breathe in, air travels through your nose and/or mouth through a tube called the trachea (sometimes referred to as the "windpipe"). From the trachea, it enters a series of smaller tubes that branch off from the trachea. These branched tubes are the bronchi, and they divide further into smaller tubes called the bronchioles. It is in the bronchi and bronchioles that asthma has its main effects.
Here is how the process occurs. When the airways come into contact with an asthma trigger, the tissue inside the bronchi and bronchioles becomes inflamed (inflammation). At the same time, the muscles on the outside of the airways tighten up (constriction), causing them to narrow. A thick fluid (mucus) enters the airways, which become swollen. The breathing passages are narrowed still more, and breathing is hampered.
Who Gets Asthma?
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
The process just described can be normal, up to a point. Everyone's airways constrict somewhat in response to irritating substances like dust and mold. But in a person with asthma, the airways are hyperreactive. This means that their airways overreact to things that would just be minor irritants in people without asthma.
We do not know for certain why some people get asthma and others do not. However, doctors doing research have found that certain traits make it more likely that a person will develop asthma.
- Heredity. To some extent, asthma seems to run in families. People whose brothers, sisters or parents have asthma are more likely to develop the illness themselves.
- Atopy. A person is said to have atopy (or to be atopic) when he or she is prone to have allergies. For reasons that are not fully known, some people seem to inherit a tendency to develop allergies. This is not to say that a parent can pass on a specific type of allergy to a child. In other words, it doesn't mean that if your mother is allergic to bananas, you will be too. But you may develop allergies to something else, like pollen or mold.
How Is Asthma Treated?
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
Because each case of asthma is different, treatment needs to be tailored for each person. One general rule that does apply, though, is removing the things in your environment that you know are factors that make your asthma worse. When these measures are not enough, it may be time to try one of the many medications that are available to control symptoms.
Asthma medications may be either inhaled or in pill form and are divided into two types-quick-relief and long-term control. Quick-relief medicines are used to control the immediate symptoms of an asthma episode. In contrast, long-term control medicines do not provide relief right away, but rather help to lessen the frequency and severity of episodes over time.
Like all medications, asthma treatments often have side effects. These are usually mild and go away on their own. Be sure to ask your doctor about the side effects of the medications you are prescribed and what warning signs should prompt you to contact him or her.
The Doctor's Role in Asthma Care
American Lung Association
The doctor's role in asthma care begins with your diagnosis. Once a doctor decides that you have asthma, then you and the doctor can work together to control it.
During the diagnosis, a doctor will take your medical history, give you a physical checkup and do some lab tests. These tests may include a chest x-ray, blood and allergy tests, and lung-function tests.
Once the doctor decides that you do, indeed, have asthma, then medical treatment can start. This means that the doctor chooses the best asthma medicines at the right doses for you.
After you start taking your asthma medicines, you need to see a doctor on a regular basis, not just when you're having problems. That way the doctor can make certain your medicines are working well.
The doctor needs to know if:
- You have breathing problems at night and you do not get a good night's sleep.
- Your asthma makes it hard for you to do things during the day.
- You take more medicine than the doctor has prescribed. This is a danger sign! It means that something is not working right with your treatment.
Your Role in Asthma Care
American Lung Association
There are three things that you need to do to control your asthma:
- See a doctor regularly about your asthma. This is important because your symptoms can change over time. Your triggers can change, too. You may need different medicines to help keep you healthy. So regular contact with a doctor is an important part of controlling your asthma.
- Take your asthma medicines as the doctor has prescribed, even when you feel well. That way you keep breathing problems from happening.
- Get educated about asthma. Find out what triggers it and what you must do to stay healthy. In fact, everyone in your family should know about asthma and know what to do when you need help.
Start taking control of asthma:
- Learn your triggers and symptoms and what to do about them.
- Learn what to do for asthma attacks.
- Learn about your medicines so you know how quickly they should work.
Teens and Asthma: What You Really Need to Know
American Lung Association
- Take your medicine regularly.
Some asthma medicines help keep you from having attacks. But they only work if you take them regularly. That may mean taking the medicine every day, even when you feel just fine.
Don't stop taking the medicine if you have an asthma attack, either. It can take some time before the medicine starts to work in your body. Your doctor or nurse will tell you how often you should take your medicine.
- Take the right amount of medicine.
Don't cut down on the amount of medicine you take if you are feeling good. And don't take more medicine than usual if your chest feels tight unless your nurse or doctor told you to. Your body needs the correct amount of medicine, no more and no less, to keep you from having an asthma attack.
- Keep your inhaler with you. And use it.
If you use a rescue inhaler, keep it with you wherever you go. Put it in your pocket or purse. That way you'll have it with you when you need it. Check your inhaler every once in a while to make sure it still has medicine in it, they do run out! Finally, make sure you ask your nurse or doctor how to use your inhaler so that it works best for you.
- Tell your friends, teachers and people you work with that you have asthma.
It probably won't be the first thing you tell them about yourself. But telling people you spend time with that you have asthma will help in many ways. It will make it easier for them to help you if you do have an attack. It will keep them from getting scared. And it might save you a trip to the Emergency Room.
- Don't limit yourself.
A number of Olympic and professional athletes have asthma. Don't think you can't be part of the team because you have asthma. You can do what anyone else can do.
You may need to take asthma medicine before you work out. And you may use deep breathing to keep your asthma in check while you exercise. But don't let your asthma keep you away from sports or activities you love.
Swimming is especially good if you have asthma because you breathe in warm, humid air as you swim. Sports that have some "down time" (like baseball) might be easier to manage than those that keep you in constant motion (like soccer). But if you love a sport or activity, chances are that, working with your health-care team, you'll be able to figure out a way to play.
- Figure out what triggers your asthma attacks.
Be a detective. Use the clues you have to figure out what causes you to have an attack. It maybe cigarette smoke in the air, your own smoking, dust, pets or something else. If you can figure out what causes an attack, you can stay away from those triggers.
- Learn how you feel when an attack is coming on. And get the help you need right away.
Before you have an attack, does your chest feel tight? Do you feel tired? Do you feel like it is hard to catch your breath?
If you know what you feel like before you have an attack, you can get the help you need. Don't tough it out and pretend that it isn't happening. That can lead you to the Emergency Room.
What Are Some Asthma Triggers?
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
If you have asthma, it is important to be aware of the things in your environment that tend to make asthma worse. These factors vary from person to person. Some of the more common factors or triggers are described here.
- Allergens. In many people with asthma, the same substances that cause allergy symptoms can also trigger an asthma episode. These allergens may be things that you inhale, such as pollen or dust, or things that you eat, such as shellfish. It is best to avoid or limit your exposure to known allergens in order to prevent asthma symptoms.
- Tobacco smoke. Today most people are aware that smoking can lead to cancer and heart disease. What you may not be aware of, though, is that smoking is also a risk factor for asthma in children, and a common trigger of asthma symptoms for all ages.
It may seem obvious that people with asthma should not smoke, but they should also avoid the smoke from others' cigarettes. This "secondhand" smoke, or "passive smoking," can trigger asthma symptoms in people with the disease. Studies have shown a clear link between secondhand smoke and asthma, especially in young people. Passive smoking worsens asthma in children and teens and may cause up to 26,000 new cases of asthma each year.
- Exercise. Exercise- especially in cold air-is a frequent asthma trigger. A form of asthma called exercise-induced asthma is triggered by physical activity. Symptoms of this kind of asthma may not appear until after several minutes of sustained exercise. (When symptoms appear sooner than this, it usually means that the person needs to adjust his or her treatment.) The kind of physical activities that can bring on asthma symptoms including not only exercise, but also laughing, crying, holding ones breath, and hyperventilating (rapid, shallow breathing).
The symptoms of exercise-induced asthma usually go away within a few hours. With proper treatment, a child with exercise-induced asthma does not need to limit his or her overall physical activity.
Tips on Controlling Asthma Triggers
The Nemours Foundation - Kids Health
To Control Dust Mites:
- Use only polyester-fill pillows and comforters (never feather or down). Encase pillows and mattresses in mite-proof covers (available at allergy-supply stores). Keep covers clean by vacuuming or wiping them down once a week.
- Wash sheets and blankets a child sleeps on once a week in very hot water (130 degrees Fahrenheit or higher) to kill dust mites.
- Avoid upholstered furniture, window mini-blinds, and carpeting in a child's bedroom and playroom. They can collect dust and harbor dust mites (especially carpets).
- Use washable throw rugs on vinyl or hardwood floors, and wash rugs in hot water weekly.
- Use washable curtains and vinyl window shades that can be wiped down. Wash curtains in hot water weekly.
- Dust and vacuum weekly. If possible, use a vacuum specially designed to collect and trap dust mites.
- Reduce the number of dust-collecting houseplants, books, knickknacks, and non-washable stuffed animals in your home.
- Avoid humidifiers when possible because moist air promotes dust mite infestation.
To Control Pollens and Molds:
- Avoid humidifiers, because humidity promotes mold growth. If you must use a humidifier, keep it very clean to prevent mold from growing in the machine.
- Ventilate bathrooms, basements, and other dark, moist places that commonly grow mold. Consider keeping a light on in closets and using a dehumidifier in basements to remove air moisture.
- Use air conditioning: it removes excess air moisture, filters out pollens from the outside, and provides air circulation throughout your home. Filters should be changed once a month.
- Avoid wallpaper and carpets in bathrooms, as mold can grow under them.
- Use bleach to kill mold in bathrooms.
- Keep windows and doors shut during pollen season.
To Control Irritants:
- Do not smoke (or allow others to smoke) at home - even when a child is not present.
- Do not burn wood fires in fireplaces or wood stoves.
- Avoid strong odors from paint, perfume, hair spray, disinfectants, chemical cleaners, air fresheners, and glues.
To Control Animal Dander:
- If a child is allergic to a pet, talk seriously with the doctor about the need to find a new home for the animal.
- It may (but not always) help to wash the animal at least once a week to remove excess dander and collected pollens.
- Never allow the pet into the allergic child's bedroom. Consider keeping the pet outside at all times.
- If you don't already own a pet and a child has asthma, don't acquire one. Even if a child isn't allergic to the animal now, he can become allergic with continued exposure.
Outdoor Controls
- When mold or pollen counts are high, premedicate the child as directed by his doctor. After playing outdoors, the child should bathe and change clothes.
- Drive with the car windows shut and air conditioning on during mold and pollen seasons.
- Don't let a child mow the grass or rake leaves.
What is a Peak Flow Meter?
American Lung Association
A Peak Flow Meter is a portable, inexpensive, hand-held device used to measure how air flows from your lungs in one "fast blast." In other words, the Meter measures your ability to push air out of your lungs.
There are several types of Peak Flow Meters available. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about which type to use.
Why Should I Measure My Peak Flow Rate?
American Lung Association
Measurements with a Peak Flow Meter can help you and your doctor monitor your asthma.
These measurements can be important and help your doctor prescribe medicines to keep your asthma in control.
A Peak Flow Meter can show you that you may need to change the way you are using your medicines. For example, Peak Flow readings may be a signal for you to implement the medication plan you and your doctor have developed for worsening asthma.
On the other hand, if you are doing well, then measuring your Peak Flow may be helpful as you and your doctor try to lower the level of your medicines.
A Peak Flow Meter can also be used during an asthma episode. It can help you determine the severity of the episode; decide when to use your rescue medication; and decide when to seek emergency care.
How is a Peak Flow Meter Used?
American Academy of Family Physicians
To use a peak flow meter, your child should follow these steps:
- Move the indicator to the bottom of the numbered scale.
- Stand up.
- Take a deep breath.
- Close his or her lips around the mouthpiece of the flow meter. The tongue should not go inside the tube.
- Blow out as hard and fast as possible.
The indicator on the flow meter will move up. Write down the number where it stops. Have your child repeat steps 1 through 5 two more times. Write down the highest of the three numbers on the peak flow meter record chart.
Your doctor will tell you when to have your child use the peak flow meter and how to find out your child's "personal best" score. The personal best score is the highest score your child gets in two weeks of recording, when the asthma is under good control. After you know your child's personal best score, you compare the daily peak flow score with the personal best score.
What is the Peak Flow Zone System?
American Academy of Family Physicians
Once you know your child's personal best peak flow score, your doctor can tell you how to do the next step. Peak flow scores are put in "zones" like the colors in traffic lights.
- Green Zone: This is a score that is 80% to 100% of the personal best score. It signals all clear. No symptoms are present, and your child can use medicines as usual.
- Yellow Zone: This is a score that is 50% to 80% of the personal best score. It signals caution. Your child may need extra asthma medicine. Follow your doctor's written instructions or call your doctor for advice.
- Red Zone: This is a score that is below 50% of the personal best score. It signals a medical alert. You should have your child use an inhaler right away. Call your doctor right away for more advice.
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