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Summary
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive, and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air.
Symptoms of asthma include
- Wheezing
- Coughing, especially early in the morning or at night
- Chest tightness
- Shortness of breath
Not all people who have asthma have these symptoms. Having these symptoms doesn't always mean that you have asthma. Your doctor will diagnose asthma based on lung function tests, your medical history, and a physical exam. You may also have allergy tests.
When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it's called an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care, and they can be fatal.
Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Diagnosis and Tests
- Cough (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
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Pulmonary Function Tests
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
- Spirometry for Asthma - When You Need It and Why (ABIM Foundation)
Prevention and Risk Factors
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Allergens and Irritants
(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
- Asthma Triggers: Gain Control (Environmental Protection Agency)
- Common Asthma Triggers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
-
4 Tips: Asthma and Complementary Health Practices
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Asthma Treatment: Do Complementary and Alternative Approaches Work? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Inhaled Asthma Medications (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Long-Term Control Medications for Lung Diseases (National Jewish Health)
- Manage Your Asthma: Know Your Triggers and Treatment Options (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- Patient's Guide to Aerosol Drug Delivery (American Association for Respiratory Care) - PDF
- Quick-Relief Medications for Lung Diseases (National Jewish Health)
- Understand Your Medication (American Lung Association)
Living With
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Asthma Action Plan
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Asthma Diet: Does What You Eat Make a Difference? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Asthma Inhalers: Which One's Right for You? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Asthma: Questions to Ask When My Asthma Doesn't Get Better (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Measuring Your Peak Flow Rate (American Lung Association)
-
So You Have Asthma
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF
Related Issues
- Allergies and Asthma: They Often Occur Together (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Aspirin Desensitization (American Rhinologic Society)
- Asthma and COPD: Differences and Similarities (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Flu and People with Asthma (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) (and Asthma) (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
- Guide to Controlling Asthma at Work (American Lung Association)
- Humidifiers: Air Moisture Eases Skin, Breathing Symptoms (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Lung Disease Including Asthma and Adult Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Sleep Problems in Asthma and COPD (American Thoracic Society) - PDF
- Treating Influenza (Flu) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
-
What People with Asthma Need to Know about Osteoporosis
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- What's the Difference Between Vocal Cord Dysfunction and Asthma? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Asthma Attack (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Exercise and Asthma (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
- Exercise-Induced Asthma (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB) (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Nocturnal Asthma (National Jewish Health)
- Occupational Asthma (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: allergic asthma
(National Library of Medicine)
Images
- Metered dose inhaler use - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Nebulizer use - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Peak flow meter use - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Spacer use - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Health Check Tools
- Asthma Quiz (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction Quiz (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
Videos and Tutorials
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Enviromysteries: Inside Stories: Thomas' Story
(Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland Public Television)
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Know How to Use Your Asthma Inhaler
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
What is Asthma?
(American Lung Association)
Statistics and Research
- Asthma in Adults Fact Sheet (American Lung Association)
- Asthma Patients in US Overuse Quick-Relief Inhalers, Underuse Control Medications (American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology)
- CDC Vital Signs: Asthma in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Do Newborns Have More Complications When Mom Has Asthma? (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
- Inhaler Reminders Significantly Improve Asthma Patients' Use of Controller Medications (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Asthma
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Prostaglandin D2 receptor antagonists in allergic disorders: safety, efficacy, and...
- Article: Effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine Ping Chuan Ke Li for...
- Article: The association of serum 25-OH vitamin D with asthma in...
- Asthma -- see more articles
- Exercise-induced asthma -- see more articles
Reference Desk
- Allergy and Asthma Health Magazine (American Association for Respiratory Care)
Find an Expert
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
- American Lung Association
- Find an Allergist/Immunologist (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
-
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
-
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Children
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Asthma in Children: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Women
- Asthma and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) Also in Spanish
- Asthma, Allergies and Pregnancy (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
Seniors
- Medications and Older Adults (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
Patient Handouts
- Allergies, asthma, and dust (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Allergies, asthma, and molds (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Allergies, asthma, and pollen (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Asthma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Asthma - control drugs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Asthma - quick-relief drugs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Exercise-induced asthma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- How to breathe when you are short of breath (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- How to use a nebulizer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- How to use an inhaler - no spacer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- How to use an inhaler - with spacer (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Pulmonary function tests (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Signs of an asthma attack (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish