Did you know that asthma affects over 20 million Americans and up to 300 million people worldwide? Yet despite asthma being one of the most common chronic diseases it is often misunderstood. This can make a diagnosis seem overwhelming.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with asthma, take comfort from the fact that we know more about this disease and how to manage it than ever before. There are many things you can do to control asthma and reduce its impact on your life.
Firstly do some research. It is important that you understand the condition and how it is treated. If you just leave your doctor to make the healthcare decisions you will not get that sense of control and responsibility that can lead to confidently living with asthma.
Asthma is essentially an uncontrolled inflammation of the airways that makes the tubes you breathe through narrower. This can cause shortness of breath, wheezing as air whistles through the narrowed airways, and coughing as your body tries to get rid of excess mucus that builds up and starts to block the airways. If an asthma attack is left untreated it can result in hospitalization.
Once the severity of your...