Asthma is known as reactive airway disease and is

defined as a chronic lung condition with inflammation

(swelling) of the airways, increased sensitivity of the airways

to a variety of things that make asthma worse and

obstruction of airflow.

Signs and symptoms:

• Increased shortness of breath or wheezing that can be heard by
• others around you
• Waking up at night caused by wheezing, shortness of breath or coughing
• Chest tightness or pain
• Needing bronchodilators more than usual (short acting, rescue medicines)
• A decrease in normal peak flow rates as measured by a peak flow meter
• Coughing, especially if the cough is frequent and occurs in spasms

Treatment options

• Bronchodilators – short or long acting medicines that open up tightened airways and provide temporary relief of symptoms.
• Anti-inflammatory medicines – the mainstay medicines taken daily to prevent asthma attacks. They work by reducing inflammation in your airways and preventing blood vessels from producing extra mucus in the airway tissue.
• Allergy shots – may help prevent attacks by making you less sensitive to the allergens that cause the attack.

Links

• National Jewish Medical and Research Center
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• American Lung Association
• National Asthma Education and Prevention Program
• NHLBI Information Center