Asthma

Further Information

• AAAAI
• Asthma Education
• Canadian Lung Association
• Living well with Asthma

Interactive Learning

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lungs and airways, which is characterized by symptoms of breathlessness, wheezing and coughing. In asthma the airways can become constricted so there is less room for the air to get through.

Asthma attacks come and go, with wide variation in the symptoms at different times. Some children grow out of asthma and some people are only affected at different times of the year.

Triggers

Asthma attacks can be set off by different things called triggers, such as allergens, pollution, infections (colds or flu caused by a virus), some foods, cigarette smoke, cold air, vigorous exercise, or stress. These triggers cause the airways to become swollen and inflamed, which leaves less room for the air to pass in and out. Asthma can also sometimes run in families.

Treatment

There is no cure for asthma, but there are different types of medicines that will help to keep it under control. Most sufferers must be given a type of medicine called a preventer (or controller). Preventers can be further classified into (1) anti-inflammatory and (2) bronchodilatory medications.

1. Anti-inflammatory medications treat the underlying causes of the asthma. Even if symptoms are not present, sufferers should keep taking the anti-inflammatory medicine, as this will greatly decrease the risk of responding to asthma triggers and suffering asthma attacks. This will help many asthmatics live a normal life. Anti-inflammatory medicines include inhaled corticosteroids, steroid tablets, leukotriene-receptor antagonists, and anti-inflammatory non-steroidal inhalers.
2. Bronchodilators work by relaxing the muscle in the walls of the airways. These medicines are generally taken regularly to help keep airways in the lungs open and prevent symptoms from occurring. Another example would be its use before exercise as a preventer to open up the air passages quickly before physical activity. Some medicines combine an inhaled steroid with a bronchodilator in one single inhaler, providing the combined effect of the two preventer medicines.