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? Adults of any age can develop asthma, even if they did not have asthma as a child. What causes asthma? What is an asthma flare up? Last reviewed Mar Share this page. Chart First Aid for Asthma Chart emergency first aid anaphylaxis. Brochure My Asthma Guide management asthma treatment. Choose your newsletter preferences Health professionals Join our thriving asthma community of primary carers and specialists working together to improve the lives of people with asthma.
Triggers vary from person to person, but common ones include:. An important part of managing asthma is avoiding triggers. Your child's doctor will work with you to create a care plan that helps prevent flare-ups as much as possible. To diagnose asthma, doctors will ask questions about a child's health, problems with breathing, and family medical history.
They'll also ask about any allergies, illnesses, and exposure to things that may make breathing worse. Kids will have a physical exam and may have a lung function test. This usually involves testing breathing with a spirometer , a machine that analyzes airflow through the airways. There's no cure for asthma, but it can be managed to prevent flare-ups.
Asthma treatment involves two important things: avoiding triggers and taking medicine. There are many ways to avoid triggers. After your child's triggers are identified, the doctor will work with you to come up with a plan to avoid them.
For example, if pet dander or mold in your home trigger your child's asthma symptoms, you can make your home asthma-safe by changing the linens often, vacuuming regularly, and keeping the family pet out of your child's bedroom.
If outdoor allergies like pollen are a problem, your child should avoid the outdoors on days when pollen counts are high. If exercise is a trigger, the doctor may prescribe a medicine for your child to take before physical activity to prevent airways from tightening up. Doctors help people with exercise-induced asthma manage physical activity, not avoid it.
Exercise can help people stay healthier overall in fact, many pro athletes have asthma! Getting a yearly flu shot is also important, as illnesses like the flu can trigger asthma flare-ups. Most asthma medicines are breathed directly into the lungs inhaled , but some are pills or liquids.
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Asthma attack If you have asthma, the inside walls of the airways in your lungs can become inflamed and swollen. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter.
Show references Weinberger SE, et al. In: Principles of Pulmonary Medicine. Elsevier; Accessed March 30, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed March 25, Asthma adult. Mayo Clinic; Global strategy for asthma management and prevention update. Global Initiative for Asthma. Accessed March 27, Khurana S, et al.
Systematic approach to asthma of varying severity. Clinics in Chest Medicine.
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