How Bad Is My Asthma

Question : Do You Keep Getting Chest Infections

You answered yes.

You answered no.

• People with asthma have sensitive airways so are at a higher risk of developing chest infections.
• Often following a cold or a bout of the flu, a chest infection can considerably worsen asthma symptoms.
• If you have a chest infection which isnt clearing up, or you keep getting them again and again, consult your doctor, as this may be an indication that you have asthma.

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Asthma is a lung disease that causes your airways to tighten up, making it hard for you to breathe. Theres no cure for asthma. Even if you have asthma and feel healthy, asthma flares can happen at any time.

Most people with asthma can keep the disease under control and avoid serious health problems. If youre pregnant, its really important to work with your health care provider to manage your asthma and get medical care, if needed.

Latest Treatments For Severe Asthma

In recent years a new type of treatment has been developed using monoclonal antibodies, known as mAbs or biologics therapies.

These treatments can dramatically improve the lives of people with certain types of severe asthma and can cut down the dose of steroids they are taking and lead to a better quality of life.

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Youre Coughing And Wheezing More During The Day

Another sign that your severe asthma may be getting worse is if youre coughing or wheezing more often. Talk to your doctor about adjusting your treatment plan if you constantly feel like youre about to cough. If you find yourself wheezing with a whistle-like sound more than once a day, seek your doctors opinion as well.

Why Asthma Symptoms Can Vary With The Weather

So why do asthma symptoms seem to get worse with every change in the weather? Although it seems confusing, there are some annual trends, as well as reasons why asthma symptoms are worse at particular times of the year.

For example, severe asthma episodes tend to peak during the autumn months, especially among children. A 2001 study that examined tens of thousands of asthma hospitalizations in Canada over a 12-year period, for instance, found that there were more than twice as many hospitalizations in October as there were in July or August. Other studies have discovered similar patterns.

However, one study conducted in Detroit found that when there was a rapid 10-degree rise in temperature or a 10% rise in humidityas can happen in spring and summerhospitalizations for children with asthma increased in the next day or two.

In truth, asthma symptoms can flare at any time of year due to well-known asthma triggers, such as pet dander, secondhand smoke, and exercise. But knowing the triggers that can vary by seasonsuch as pollen, temperature, humidity, pollution, and virusescan help people with asthma figure out if they should be stepping up their medication.

In fact, the main culprit is believed to be cold-and-flu season, which kicks into gear once kids head back to school. Classrooms filled with runny noses, and grimy hands are breeding grounds for cold and flu viruses, which schoolchildren inevitably spread to their families.

Next Page: Winter

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Outlook For People With Severe Asthma

Because severe asthma is so unpredictable in the treatments it responds to, and the course it takes, the long-term outlook is different for everyone, says Dr Andy.

There are lots of treatments around for people with severe asthma and your team of healthcare professionals will work with you to find the right ones for you so you can have the best quality of life possible in the long term.

Airway remodelling

One of the possible long-term effects of severe asthma is something called airway remodelling.

This is where your airways become thicker over time, so the airway itself is narrower, making it harder to breathe.

Airway remodelling can happen if people have frequent asthma attacks. If you have severe asthma, your risk increases because youll probably have asthma attacks more often. Long-term exposure to pollutants including tobacco smoke can play a part too.

Whatever the reason, if youre continually having lots of symptoms over a long period of time then theres a risk your airways will become permanently narrowed, scarred and inflamed, which can mean your symptoms get worse.

For most people, changes to the structure of your airways can be avoided with good asthma management.

Airway remodelling can be treated with bronchial thermoplasty, but this treatment is not recommended for everyone with severe asthma.

COPD and Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome

Long term severe asthma can sometimes lead to a chronic lung condition called COPD or ACO .

Uncontrolled Asthma Vs Severe Asthma: How To Get The Right Diagnosis

• Asthma
• Lung Health and Diseases

More than 25 million Americans struggle with asthma, a chronic condition that makes breathing difficult. Whether you have lived with asthma since childhood or developed it later in life, it is important to monitor your symptoms and avoid your triggers to manage the disease. Many times, regular flare-ups can be treated with a combination of quick-relief and controller medications. Unfortunately, this may not be enough to get your symptoms under control.

If you feel asthma is interfering with your life, it can be frustrating to know what to do next. This is when it may be time to talk to your doctor about the possibility of severe asthma.

Daily symptoms, such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, are signs of uncontrolled asthma and may require the use of quick-relief medication a few times a week or even daily. In addition, you may commonly experience nighttime flare-ups and may even have to visit the emergency room. As you might expect, with these symptoms you may miss work, stop exercising, and have difficulty performing daily tasks. If you have signs of uncontrolled asthma as listed above, you will want to discuss this with you physician because you may be able to find a solution.

But what if you continue to struggle?

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What Asthma Treatment Options Are There

You have options to help manage your asthma. Your healthcare provider may prescribe medications to control symptoms. These include:

• Anti-inflammatory medicines: These medicines reduce swelling and mucus production in your airways. They make it easier for air to enter and exit your lungs. Your healthcare provider may prescribe them to take every day to control or prevent your symptoms.
• Bronchodilators: These medicines relax the muscles around your airways. The relaxed muscles let the airways move air. They also let mucus move more easily through the airways. These medicines relieve your symptoms when they happen.
• Biologic therapies for asthma when symptoms persist despite being on proper inhaler therapy.

You can take asthma medicines in several different ways. You may breathe in the medicines using a metered-dose inhaler, nebulizer or other inhaler. Your healthcare provider may prescribe oral medications that you swallow.

Question : Do Your Symptoms Feel Worse After You Exercise

You answered yes.

You answered no.

• When we exercise, we all breathe more quickly and deeper than normal. In asthmatics, a reaction can be triggered when breathing in cold or dry air, leading to a narrowing of the airways.
• If youre exercising outside, you are additionally more susceptible to breathing in other irritants, such as pollen, exhaust fumes or dust.

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Asthma Causes And Triggers

When you have asthma, your airways react to things in the world around you. Doctors call these asthma triggers. They might cause symptoms or make them worse. Common asthma triggers include:

• Infections like sinusitis, colds, and the flu
• Allergens such as pollens, mold, pet dander, and dust mites
• Irritants like strong odors from perfumes or cleaning solutions
• Air pollution
• Strong emotions such as anxiety, laughter, sadness, or stress
• Medications such as aspirin
• Food preservatives called sulfites, found in things like shrimp, pickles, beer and wine, dried fruits, and bottled lemon and lime juices

How Can I Avoid Getting Covid

The following eight steps will help you avoid COVID-19, the flu, and other respiratory infections:

1. Get your vaccines. Vaccines can help protect you, your loved ones, older adults near you, teachers, and essential workers from getting a respiratory infection. They can also cut down your symptom severity if you do get sick. Vaccines reduce the burden on our health care system by reducing the number of people who get COVID-19 or the flu.

Everyone who 12 years and older can get the COVID-19 vaccines for free with no out-of-pocket costs in the United States. On Aug. 23, 2021, the FDA approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for ages 16 and older. It has been named Comirnaty . Experts expect the FDA to authorize more COVID-19 vaccines as they complete clinical trials.

Visit vaccines.gov to find out where you can get the COVID-19 vaccine near you. Most people can get the COVID-19 vaccine with no issues. Allergic and adverse reactions are rare. Talk with your doctor before you get a COVID-19 vaccine if you have a:

• Moderate or acute illness
• Current case of COVID-19
• History of severe allergic reactions to a vaccine or injectable medicine
• History of an allergic reaction to PEG or polysorbate

The following people can get a COVID-19 vaccine:

Your doctor may need to give you more information about the vaccine depending on your condition.

If you have a reaction to the first dose of an mRNA vaccine , talk with your doctor about your options.

2. Wear a mask.

The WHO recommends three layers:

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Sinusitis And Other Upper Respiratory Infections

Much like asthma causes inflammation in the lining of your airways, sinusitis causes inflammation in the mucus membranes that line your sinuses. This makes the membranes put out more mucus. If you have asthma and your sinuses get inflamed, your airways may too. Prompt treatment of a sinus infection can relieve asthma symptoms.

Causes And Triggers Of Asthma

Asthma is caused by swelling of the breathing tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. This makes the tubes highly sensitive, so they temporarily narrow.

It may happen randomly or after exposure to a trigger.

Common asthma triggers include:

• allergies
• smoke, pollution and cold air
• exercise
• infections like colds or flu

Identifying and avoiding your asthma triggers can help you keep your symptoms under control.

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Other Risks Of The Vaccine

It is not possible to get the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the vaccine, so a person will not develop COVID-19. There is also no evidence of widespread serious reactions. Anecdotal reports of serious reproductive harm, stillbirths, pregnancy loss, and other issues are not grounded in science.

Nevertheless, as with all drugs, the COVID-19 vaccine can cause some side effects. The most common

Good management of asthma symptoms may help reduce the risk of serious asthma complications, both during the pandemic and beyond. People can reduce their risk by:

• using asthma medications as a doctor recommends and asking about a rescue inhaler
• identifying asthma triggers, such as pollution, stress, and allergens, and then finding ways to avoid them, such as wearing a mask outside
• developing an asthma management plan with the help of a doctor and asking for additional guidance if asthma symptoms do not improve
• reducing the risk of getting respiratory viruses by practicing frequent hand washing and getting vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19

People with asthma should talk with a doctor about their risk of severe COVID-19, strategies they can adopt to mitigate this risk, and any concerns that they have about medications that suppress the immune system.

It is important to call a doctor if:

• a person develops signs of COVID-19 or has a positive SARS-CoV-2 test
• asthma symptoms get worse
• the side effects of a COVID-19 vaccine do not go away within a day or two

Why Is My Asthma So Bad

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Signs You Actually Have Severe Asthma

Breathing is just one of those things you take for granted until it feels like every inhale or exhale is a struggle. Unfortunately, people with severe asthma have to deal with breathing issues way more often than anyone should, and it can be completely terrifying.

Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects the airways that extend from your nose and mouth to your lungs, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute . When youre exposed to triggers like animal fur, pollen, mold, exercise, and respiratory infections, these airways can narrow, restricting your airflow. This can then make the muscles surrounding your airways constrict, making it even harder to breathe, and cause your airways to produce more mucus than normal, further compounding the problem. All together, this can lead to asthma symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing , and chest tightness or pain, according to the NHLBI.

Like most health conditions, asthma severity runs along a spectrum, Emily Pennington, M.D., a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF. Some people have cases where they experience minor symptoms here and there . Others can have asthma that is basically an ever-present problem and might result in scary asthma attacks, which is when symptoms ramp up in severity and can even become life-threatening.

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What Should I Do If I Have A Severe Asthma Attack

A severe asthma attack needs immediate medical care. The first step is your rescue inhaler. A rescue inhaler uses fast-acting medicines to open up your airways. Its different than your normal maintenance inhaler, which you use every day. You should only use the rescue inhaler in an emergency.

If your rescue inhaler doesnt help or you dont have it with you, go to the emergency department if you have:

• Anxiety or panic.
• Bluish fingernails, bluish lips or gray or whitish lips or gums .
• Chest pain or pressure.

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Are Asthma Medicines Safe When Youre Breastfeeding

Asthma medicines do get into your breast milk, but the amounts are very low and are safe for the baby. If you take high doses of certain asthma medicines, like theophylline, your baby may become irritable or have trouble sleeping. To help prevent this, take your asthma medicines 3 or 4 hours before the next feeding. Your provider and your babys provider can help you adjust your medicine schedule so you and your baby can get the health benefits of breastfeeding.

Last reviewed: November, 2013

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How Do I Know If A Flare

Here’s a good way to see how bad a flare-up is: measure your peak expiratory flow using a peak flow meter. Your doctor can show you how to use a peak flow meter to keep track of your asthma. A peak flow meter costs less than $30, and you only have to buy it one time. First, you find out your personal best peak flow. This is the highest reading you can get on the meter over a two-week period when your asthma is under good control.

Here are some general guidelines you can use to find out how serious an asthma flare-up is:

During mild flare-ups, you may notice shortness of breath when you walk or exercise, but when you sit still, you feel okay. You can usually breathe well enough to talk in complete sentences. You may hear some wheezing, mostly at the end of exhaling . Your peak flow readings will be 80 to 100 percent of your personal best.

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What Causes Asthma Symptoms To Flare Up

Your asthma can flare up for different reasons. If you’re allergic to dust mites, pollens or molds, they can make your asthma symptoms get worse. Cold air, exercise, fumes from chemicals or perfume, tobacco or wood smoke, and weather changes can also make asthma symptoms worse. So can common colds and sinus infections. Gastroesophageal reflux can also cause flare-ups. You can help yourself by paying attention to the way these things affect your asthma. Your doctor might test you to find out if you’re allergic to something. Then your doctor can help you avoid the things that bother your asthma.

Managing Your Asthma Flare

Am Fam Physician. 1998 Jul 1 58:109-113.

See related article on asthma.

To keep your asthma under control, you need to know what to do when you have a flare-up of symptoms . First, you need to know the symptoms that tell you your asthma is getting worse . Second, you need to know how to treat your asthma when it gets worse. Early treatment of flare-ups works the best and will help get your asthma under control quickly.

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