Let's Talk about Asthma.
Are you Asthmatic or do you have any relatives or friends with Asthma? find out about Asthma and how to diagnose

Asthma is a chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs. These airways, or bronchial tubes, allow air to come in and out of the lungs.

If you have asthma your airways are always inflamed. They become even more swollen and the muscles around the airways can tighten when something triggers your symptoms. This makes it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and/or chest tightness.

For many asthma sufferers, the timing of these symptoms is closely related to physical activity, some healthy people can develop asthma symptoms only when exercising.

This is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), or exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Staying active is an important way to stay healthy, so asthma shouldn't keep you on the sidelines.

People with a family history of allergies or asthma are more prone to developing asthma. Many people with asthma also have allergies. This is known as allergic asthma.

Occupational asthma is caused by inhaling fumes, gases, dust or other potentially harmful substances while on the job.

Childhood asthma impacts millions of children and their families. In fact, the majority of children who develop asthma do so before the age of five.

There is no cure for asthma, but once it is properly diagnosed and a treatment plan is in place you will be able to manage your condition, and your quality of life will improve.

How is asthma diagnosed?
Symptoms of Asthma can resemble those of other respiratory problems such as emphysema, bronchitis, and respiratory infections, asthma often goes undiagnosed.

Many people live with the disease for years without knowing they have it. They only know they have a chronic cough, often at night, or that they have difficulty breathing in cold air, especially while working or exercising. Some think they have chronic bronchitis.

To diagnose asthma, our doctors use a combination of medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests such as spirometry (a method of measuring the air taken into and expelled from the lungs), peak flow monitoring (a method of measuring how much air a person can expel from his or her lungs), chest x-rays, and blood or allergy tests.

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