Do You Have Asthma?
Asthma is a respiratory condition that occurs for a number of reasons. It is essentially a condition that causes the lungs to narrow, making it harder to extract oxygen, leading to a shortness of breath.
Many people have at least a small amount of asthma without knowing it. For some people, the issue is quite debilitating, and for others, it simply occurs when they exert themselves.
How can you tell if you have asthma?
Signs
One of the most common signs of asthma is coughing. The coughing might occur at random, but for many people, it happens in the most pronounced way in the morning or in the evening.
When it occurs, it can prevent people from sleeping. A tightness in the chest is another sign of asthma. This symptom can be quite frightening, as it feels as if your chest is being constricted.
Because of this, you might experience a shortness of breath, where it is difficult to get air into or out of your lungs. You may also find that wheezing occurs.
Listen to your breathing when you think about it. Wheezing refers to a squeaky sound that happens when you breathe, and it might not occur when you are feeling the other symptoms.
Remember that most people do not have all of these symptoms. Some people find that they only have one or two.
Diagnosis
Simply having these issues does not mean that you have asthma. As a matter of fact, the only way to be sure that you have asthma is to talk to a doctor.
A doctor can perform a lung function test as well as figure out what kind of symptoms you have. The regularity with which you have issues as well as their severity can have an impact on your condition.
A full physical exam might be ordered as well, simply to rule out other possible causes.
Severity
Though asthma is quite common, it is important not to take it lightly. Severe asthma can impact your life in a negative way, in some cases, it can be fatal.
If you think that you have asthma, you will find that getting your symptoms treated right away and working to find a way to prevent them from recurring can make a huge difference to your general health.
It is also important to remember that asthma is easily treated, meaning that you can prevent the symptoms noted above almost entirely.
Causes
There are many things that can cause an asthma attack. Allergies are one of the primary causes, but genetics can also make someone more prone to the condition than they would be otherwise.
Stress can make a small episode into a big one. Some common triggers for asthma include exertion, dust, mold spores and animal dander.
Treatment
Asthma can be treated in several ways. First, if the asthma is induced through allergies, avoiding the triggers is quite important. Second, consider the two types of drugs used to control asthma.
The first and most preferable way to treat the condition is with drugs that are meant to prevent an outbreak in the first place.
The second way is to look to rescue drugs, which stop an attack in its tracks. A good asthma control program will take both types into account.
If you are concerned that you or someone that you love has asthma, take a moment to learn more and to think about what can be done. The sooner you treat this issue, the better!
