Asthma You may not think of asthma as a killer disease. Yet nearly 500,000 Americans are hospitalized annually and more than 5,000 die annually of asthma. Asthma is a chronic condition that occurs when the main air passages of your lungs, the bronchial tubes, become inflamed. The muscles of the bronchial walls tighten and extra mucus is produced, causing your airways to narrow. This can lead to everything from minor wheezing to severe difficulty in breathing. In some cases your breathing may asthma statistics asthma treatments be so labored that an asthma attack becomes life-threatening. Yet asthma is a treatable disease, and most flare-ups and deaths can be prevented. In the past 20 years, scientists have gained a better understanding of asthma's cause. New drugs have been developed to replace standard medications. Greater emphasis also is now put on managing your own condition, much as people manage their diabetes with insulin. Together, you and your doctor can work to gain control over your symptoms, reduce the risk of exercise clinics asthma treatments severe attacks and help maintain a normal life. Allergy Center Mechanism of asthma (click to enlarge) Signs and Symptoms Back to Top Asthma symptoms can range from mild to very severe. You may experience only occasional episodes of asthma with moderate, short-lived symptoms such as wheezing. You might also cough and wheeze most of the time or find that your symptoms become much worse after exposure to an asthma trigger such as pollen, mold or tobacco smoke. In exercise herbs asthma treatments severe cases, an asthma attack leaves you gasping for air. All asthma attacks give a warning. Learning to recognize warning signs and treating symptoms early can help prevent attacks or keep them from becoming worse. Warning signs for adults can include: Increased shortness of breath or wheezing Disturbed sleep caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing Chest tightness or pain Increased need to use bronchodilators - medications that open up airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles A fall in peak flow rates as measured by a asthma treatments asthma treatments peak
