| Are you one of many who suffer from asthma each | | | | instead react to the exposure to irritants such as |
| year? Statistic say more than 400,000 Americans are | | | | smoke, cold air and sometime stress. The number of |
| hospitalized due to asthma complications each year | | | | asthma cases has been on the rise. Statistics say this |
| with 5,000 of them being fatal. What is asthma? | | | | is particularly true for those living in cities. Asthma is the |
| Asthma is a chronic condition that happens when the | | | | most common chronic illness in children being most |
| primary air passages of the lungs known as the | | | | common in boys. Once children reach puberty, asthma |
| bronchial tubes, become inflamed. The bronchial wall's | | | | becomes more common in females. |
| muscles tighten and produce mucus, causing the | | | | If you or your child experience wheezing, coughing, |
| airways to restrict or narrow. This condition leads to | | | | difficulty breathing, pain or tightening in the chest |
| minor wheezing to extreme difficulty in breathing. | | | | without flu symptoms, see your doctor. Because the |
| Fortunately, asthma is a treatable disease with most | | | | symptoms of asthma are similar to any number of |
| deaths being preventable. Due to the latest advances | | | | lung conditions, diagnosing asthma can be difficult. |
| in technology and treatment, many people with asthma | | | | Diagnosing asthma begins with a physical exam, along |
| live healthy lives. | | | | with a complete medical history. It is also very |
| People with a family history to asthma are more likely | | | | common to be given a pulmonary function test, which |
| than others to develop the disease. Also people to | | | | measure the amount of air that moves in and out with |
| experience high sensitivity to allergens and other | | | | each breathe. You will also be given a peak flow |
| environmental changes are at higher risk. Once the | | | | meter, which measures the rate at which you expel |
| bronchial tubes become inflamed, it makes the air | | | | breathe. This common lung function test can be used |
| passages more sensitive to many environmental | | | | at home to help patients detect airway obstructions |
| triggers. Asthma is not popular to any age group. | | | | before an asthma attack occur. Often, lung function |
| However, most people with asthma below age 30 | | | | tests will continue after taking medications used to |
| experience allergies that often trigger asthma. Allergy | | | | open the airways, known as bronchodilators. If these |
| symptoms to airborne particles are common with | | | | medications cause your lung functions to improve, a |
| people over the age 30. Older people with asthma | | | | diagnosis of asthma is likely. |
| usually don't suffer from upper respiratory allergies, but | | | | |