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Topic of the Month: May 2005:
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May is National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month, and a good time to get a handle on your asthma or study asthma for the first time. Nearly 20 million Americans suffer from asthma.
Asthma occurs when the main air passages of the lungs, the bronchial tubes, become inflamed. The muscles of the bronchial walls tighten and extra mucus is produced, causing your airways to narrow. The result could range from a frequent tendency for cough to minor wheezing to severe difficulty in breathing In some cases, your breathing may be so labored that an asthma attack becomes life-threatening.
Symptoms
Asthma symptoms include:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Tightness in chest
- Difficulty breathing
Asthma symptoms are often worse in the morning and late at night. In between asthmatic episodes symptoms have been known to disappear or improve but that does not mean the asthma has gone away.
The cause of symptoms can be brought on by a number of different triggers like; respiratory infections, exercise, stress, cold air and outdoor allergens such as pollen, mold, animal dander or dust mites.
Allergist/Immunologists
Allergists/immunologists are the best-qualified medical professionals trained to manage the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of allergies and asthma. If you think you have asthma related symptoms click here to find an allergist in your area.
Types of Asthma
While asthma itself is one disease there are different classifications of asthma that help to pinpoint what is causing your asthma attacks:
- Allergic asthma - Caused by airway inflammation when exposed to allergens
- Exercised-induced asthma - airways narrow when triggered by vigorous activity
- Cough-variant asthma - a chronic, persistent cough without shortness of breath
- Occupational asthma - related to a particular occupational environment, symptoms do not occur outside of area when not exposed
Severity of Asthma
The degree of asthma can be classified based on the severity and frequency of symptoms. If you have asthma, it's important that your allergist/immunologist define the severity because proper treatment will differ depending the classification.
The following chart is an example of how your allergist/immunologist will determine the severity of your asthma:
| Asthma Severity | Symptom severity | Nighttime symptoms |
| Severe persistent |
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| Moderate persistent |
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| Mild persistent |
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| Mild intermittent |
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Controlling your asthma
While asthma is an incurable disease there are steps that can be taken to help prevent asthma attacks.
Environment:Work with your allergist/immunologist to recognize the allergens and irritants that are triggering your asthma attacks. Most common causes are pollen and animal dander, although mold spores and dust mite exposure can also be responsible. Check the National Allergy Bureau for the day's pollen count in your area: www.aaaai.org/nab/
Medication:
Take medication as directed by your doctor. If your symptoms worsen do not increase your medication without discussion with your doctor. You may have to contact your allergist/immunologist to discuss a new treatment plan.
It is important to avoid your triggers, work with your allergist/immunologist on a management plan and take appropriate medications as prescribed. Together, you and your allergist/immunologist can work to ensure that asthma does not control you.
Additional Resources
Allergy and Asthma Medication Guide
Tips to Remember: Asthma triggers and management
Gaining better control of your child's asthma (news release)
This topic was reviewed on 4/29/2005 by Stuart Friedman, MD, FAAAAI, Patients & Consumers Web Editor.
© 1996-2008 · All Rights Reserved · American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology