Asthma is a disease of the lung airways. Asthma is a chronic disease in which the airways for breathing become blocked or constricted. Asthma attacks may be mild or serious. Asthma is defined as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by wheezing, breathing difficulties, coughing, chest tightness, and other possible symptoms. Asthma symptoms and attacks are almost always preventable. Asthma can occur at any age but is more common in children than adults.

Symptoms:

Recognizing the signs of an asthma attack you should learn to recognize when your child's asthma symptoms are getting worse or are becoming severe. If this happens, your child may suddenly start to cough, experience difficulty in breathing, or notice a gradual worsening of asthma symptoms. During an asthmatic episode, or asthma attack, symptoms become worse than usual. The symptoms of asthma can often be mistaken for cold or flu symptoms. Some symptoms of asthma include Shortness of breath Coughing (especially at night and early in the morning) Wheezing Chest pain or tightness or a combination of these symptoms.

Allergy:

An allergy is an overreaction by your body's immune system to a normally harmless substance, or allergen, that does not bother most people. Allergy symptoms may significantly affect your quality of life by causing fatigue, headache, and difficulty in daily functioning. Stay away from asthma triggers and allergy-proof your house for dust, mold, cockroaches, and other indoor allergens. Remove the person from whatever brought on the attack (the allergy trigger). Allergic asthma is the most common form. More than 50% of the 30 million asthmatic Americans suffer from allergic asthma.

Treatment:

Discuss all medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment with your healthcare provider. Ask your doctor for a treatment plan. If the treatment plan is unclear, ask for an explanation. Assess for any side effects of treatment. There are lots of over the counter asthma treatments, but make sure you talk to your doctor before self-treating. In most cases, however, asthma is a chronic disease that requires long-term care and treatment.

Although asthma is rarely fatal if you take your medicine and follow your doctor's orders. Asthma is a serious medical condition requiring direct supervision by a physician. Asthma causes the airways of the lungs to swell and become narrower. If you are born with asthma, it could remain latent, and become active in the later years of your life.

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