An asthma flare-up can become serious if not treated properly, even in someone whose asthma is usually mild or well controlled. A severe flare-up needs urgent treatment by a doctor or hospital emergency department. What is asthma? Home Understanding Asthma What is asthma?
At other times their breathing is normal. For good control of asthma, you need: medicines — taken the right way, at the right time regular medical visits for check-ups and to learn more about living with asthma an action plan, so you know exactly what to do when symptoms happen. What are the symptoms of asthma? The most common symptoms of asthma are: wheezing — a high-pitched sound coming from the chest while breathing a feeling of not being able to get enough air or being short of breath a feeling of tightness in the chest coughing.
What is happening inside the lungs when someone has asthma symptoms? All these can happen at the same time. Who gets asthma? What Is Asthma?
What Causes Asthma? Asthma isn't contagious. You can't catch it from someone who has it. How Asthma Affects Breathing With normal breathing, air flows in through the nose or mouth and then into the windpipe trachea. What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Asthma? Asthma Flare-Ups An asthma flare-up or "attack" is when a person's symptoms get worse. During a flare-up, a person might have: trouble breathing a tight chest a whistling sound when breathing wheezing a cough Things that bring on a flare-up are called triggers.
These can vary, but common triggers include: allergens , like pollen, mold, or other things that cause an allergic reaction in some people airborne irritants and pollutants , like smoke , strong scents, or high levels of air pollutants exercise weather , like cold, dry air or extreme heat or humidity respiratory tract infections , like colds and the flu Other things can trigger asthma flare-ups too: Some girls find their asthma gets worse just before their periods.
How Is Asthma Treated? Avoiding Triggers People with asthma need to avoid the things that might cause flare-ups. Taking Medicine Most asthma medicines are breathed directly into the lungs inhaled , but some are pills or liquids. There two types of medicines are: Quick-relief medicines, which act fast. They can be used as needed during a flare-up.
Quick-relief medicines act fast, but their effect doesn't last long. These kinds of medicines are also called "fast-acting" or "rescue" medicines. Long-term control medicines, which manage asthma and prevent symptoms from happening in the first place. Many people need to take daily medicines to manage asthma. These medicines help prevent flare-ups before they start. The muscles that wrap around your airways also can tighten, making breathing even harder. When that happens, it's called an asthma flare-up, asthma episode or asthma "attack.
After an asthma flare-up, you probably will feel tired. You're also at greater risk of having another flare-up for several days after an episode. For the days following a flare-up, be sure to:. Poor asthma management can lead to airway remodeling. Airway remodeling is a serious condition that happens when asthma is untreated or poorly managed. The lungs become scarred, asthma medicines do not work as well and less air is able to move through your airways. Airway remodeling does not have to happen.
High doses of certain asthma medicines over time can increase your risk of cataracts and osteoporosis. A cataract is the clouding of lens in your eye. Osteoporosis is a disorder that makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Keep your asthma under control and contact your doctor if anything changes. When asthma is unmanaged, it can lead to potentially life-threatening asthma attacks. If you are pregnant, it can put the health of your unborn baby at risk. A written asthma action plan developed with your doctor can help you know when to call for emergency care.
Asthma attacks can be more dangerous for some people. You should seek care immediately during an asthma attack if you or your child:. For young children with asthma, call if they:. We are committed to advancing science and translating discoveries into clinical practice to promote the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders, including asthma.
Learn about the current and future NHLBI efforts to improve health through research and scientific discovery. Learn about the following ways the NHLBI continues to translate current research into improved health for people who have asthma.
In support of our mission , we are committed to advancing asthma research in part through the following ways. We lead or sponsor many studies on asthma. See if you or someone you know is eligible to participate in our clinical trials.
To learn more about clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center or to talk to someone about a study that might fit your needs, call the Office of Patient Recruitment Learn more about participating in a clinical trial. View all trials from ClinicalTrials.
After reading our Asthma Health Topic, you may be interested in additional information found in the following resources. This workshop will explore the current state of science and future research directions in the definition, standardi See also. Causes - Asthma. Airway narrowing in an asthma attack. The image on the left shows the location of the lungs in the body. The middle image is a close-up of a normal airway, and the image on the right shows a narrowed, inflamed airway typical of an asthma attack.
Risk Factors - Asthma. Environment or occupation Things in your environment, including at work or home, may raise your risk of developing asthma or make asthma symptoms worse.
This exposure may also affect lung growth and development. Exposure to different microbes in the environment, especially early in life, can affect how the immune system develops.
These effects on the immune system may either increase or protect against the risk of developing asthma. Exposures that occur in the workplace, such as chemical irritants or industrial dusts, may also raise the risk of developing asthma in susceptible people.
This type of asthma is called occupational asthma. It may develop over a period of years, and it often lasts even after you are no longer exposed. Poor air quality from pollution or allergens may make asthma worse. Pollutants may include traffic-related air pollution. Allergens in the air may include pollen, dust, or other particles. Family history and gene s Genes may play a role in the development of asthma because they affect how the immune system develops.
Other medical conditions Asthma is often linked to other medical conditions, such as: Allergies. Asthma is usually a type of allergic reaction. People who have asthma often have other types of allergies. They may have food allergies or get a runny or stuffy nose from pollen. You may be at higher risk for developing asthma if you had allergic reactions in early childhood to substances in the air, such as pollen, dander, mold, or dust. The more things you are allergic to, the higher your risk of asthma.
Obesity can increase the chances of developing asthma or worsening asthma symptoms. This may be because people who have obesity can have inflammation or changes in the immune system. Respiratory infections and wheezing. Young children who often have respiratory infections caused by viruses are at highest risk of developing asthma symptoms early in life. Race or ethnicity African Americans and Puerto Ricans are at higher risk of asthma than people of other races or ethnicities.
Sex Among children, more boys than girls have asthma. Screening and Prevention - Asthma. Signs, Symptoms, and Complications - Asthma. Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms of asthma may include: Chest tightness Coughing, especially at night or early morning Shortness of breath Wheezing, which causes a whistling sound when you exhale While other conditions can cause the same symptoms as asthma, the pattern of symptoms in people who have asthma usually has some of the following characteristics.
They come and go over time or within the same day. They start or get worse with viral infections, such as a cold. They are triggered by exercise, allergies, cold air, or hyperventilation from laughing or crying. They are worse at night or in the morning Asthma attacks, or exacerbations, are episodes that occur when symptoms get much worse and require a change in typical treatment. Diagnosis - Asthma. Medical history and physical exam Your doctor will ask about your risk factors for asthma and your symptoms.
During the physical exam, your doctor may: Listen to your breathing and look for symptoms of asthma Look for allergic skin conditions, such as eczema Diagnostic t ests Your doctor may ask you to perform the following tests to determine whether your symptoms are caused by asthma. Pulmonary function tests , such as spirometry, which involves breathing in and out through a tube connected to a computer.
This measures how much and how fast the air moves when you breathe in and out with maximum effort. Watch this video to learn more about taking a spirometry test. Spirometry with bronchodilator tests to measure how much and how fast air moves in and out both before and after you take an inhaled medicine to relax the muscles in your airway.
Bronchoprovocation tests to measure how your airways react to specific exposures. During this test, you inhale different concentrations of allergens or medicines that may tighten the muscles in your airways. Spirometry is done before and after the test.
Peak expiratory flow PEF tests to measure how fast you can blow air out using maximum effort. This test can be done during spirometry or by breathing into a separate device, such as a tube.
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide FeNO tests to measure levels of nitric oxide in your breath when you breathe out. High levels of nitric oxide may mean that your lungs are inflamed. This test is done in adults and children age 5 and older.
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