There Are 4 Stages To Asthma I Have Stage 2 What Do You Have
Asthma can suck, actually, it definitely does suck. Its not like we chose to have it, it was thrust upon us. There are ways to reduce the number of asthma attacks you have and one of those ways is to know what stage of Asthma you have. This will help you determine how often you should actually be showing symptoms of Asthma and that can help you live your life. Below are the 4 stages of Asthma. Its important to note that not everyone will show the same symptoms or fall neatly onto this graph.
Stage 1: Mild Intermittent Asthma No more than 2 Symptoms per week, no problems in between attacks which only last a few hours to at most a few days, less than 2 nighttime episodes per month
Stage 2: Mild Persistent Asthma Symptoms happen at least 2 a week but not more than once a day. Your activity levels are affected by flare ups. Multiple nighttime symptoms per month
Stage 3: Moderate Persistent Asthma There are symptoms every day and because of that you have to use rescue medication every day as well. Flare ups happen at least twice a week or more. Nighttime symptoms occur more than once per week.
Stage 4: Severe Persistent Asthma You cant do that much physical activity and always have to carry around and often use a rescue device. There are frequent flare ups along with nighttime symptoms. Your life is completely focused on Asthma and how to avoid an attack.
WHAT STAGE DO YOU HAVE? COMMENT BELOW
What Causes A Flare
Some things, like smoke or perfume, bring on breathing problems for people with asthma. These things are called .
Different people have different triggers. For some people a trigger may be cold air, exercise, or infections . For others triggers might be like , dust mites, or mold.
Triggers can cause flare-ups because they make the swelling in the airways worse and increase the amount of mucus. Triggers also can cause the muscles around the airways to tighten, making the airways even narrower.
If a flare-up isnt treated it can last for several hours or even days. often take care of the symptoms pretty fast. Most people feel better after a flare-up is over, though it can take several days to completely clear up.
Can Asthma Be Prevented
Asthma cant be prevented entirely, but there are some practical ways to reduce the risk of an asthma attack and live well with asthma.
- Get vaccinated for influenza: flu and other respiratory viruses are common triggers for asthma.
- Manage any allergies: asthma and allergies are closely linked, so treating allergic rhinitis and avoiding or managing any allergy triggers will help with your asthma.
- Live smoke-free: quit smoking if you smoke, and avoid any second-hand smoke .
- Eat well: a balanced diet helps you to maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese makes asthma harder to manage.
- Care for yourself: mental health and asthma are linked, so let a trusted friend or your doctor know if you have been feeling sad or anxious, or dont enjoy things as much as before.
- See your doctor regularly: asthma needs to be regularly assessed and managed, and your medication needs may change over time. Ensure your asthma action plan is up to date by checking in with your doctor regularly.
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What Happens In An Asthma Flare
Asthma is a disease of the breathing tubes that deliver air in and out of the lungs. When someone has asthma, these airways might be slightly inflamed or swollen, even when the person seems to be breathing fine.
During a flare-up:
- The inflammation gets worse. Sticky mucus clogs the airways and their walls get more swollen.
- The muscles around the airways get tight, further narrowing them .
These problems leave very little room in the airways for air to flow through think of a straw thats being pinched.
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How Can We Help Prevent Asthma Flare
To help prevent asthma flare-ups:
- Make sure your child always has quick-relief medicine and the spacer available.
- Teach your child how to avoid asthma triggers.
- Make sure your child takes the long-term control medicine as the doctor directed. Even when your child feels well, its important not to skip it.
- Make sure your child gets a yearly flu vaccine, and washes his or her hands well and often to avoiding germs that lead to colds and other illnesses.
- Work with the doctor on an effective asthma action plan.
Reviewed by: Aledie Amariah Navas Nazario, MD
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Treatment And Medication Options For Asthma
There is no cure for asthma, but you can alleviate and prevent your symptoms through quick-relief and long-term control medication. Long-term control medication works to reduce inflammation to make your airways less sensitive to asthma triggers. Its usually taken daily through an inhaler or as an oral pill. Quick-relief medicines help to relieve symptoms when they happen, relaxing the tight muscles around your airways and easing the flow of air.
When To See A Doctor For A Dry Cough
An occasional dry cough is rarely a cause for concern, but persistent coughing can indicate an underlying medical condition that may be more serious. A dry or sometimes tickly cough is a cough that does not bring up any phlegm or mucus. Dry coughs may cause a tickling sensation and are often due to irritation in the throat.
Asthma: Not all diagnosed with asthma will experience a dry cough. Cough-variant asthma does not produce classic symptoms, like shortness of breath or wheezing. Instead, a chronic and dry cough is the main symptom. This cough is especially likely after exposure to irritants like cold air or ambient smoke.
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Whats An Asthma Flare
An asthma flare-up is when asthma symptoms get worse, making someone wheeze, cough, or be short of breath. An asthma flare-up can happen even when asthma is controlled.
Asthma flare-ups are also called asthma attacks or exacerbations.
Triggers like allergies, respiratory infections , cigarette smoke, exercise, or even cold air can cause a flare-up and make asthma symptoms worse.
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How To Treat An Asthma Flare
To treat asthma flare-ups, start by creating a plan with the help of your healthcare provider. An asthma action plan is a step-by-step guide to monitoring your asthma symptoms, as well as preventing, managing, and treating your asthma flare-ups. Include details about your medical history, allergies, medications, and emergency contacts so you can get help right away if needed.
If your child has asthma, you can distribute the asthma action plan to their teachers, school administrators, family, friends, and healthcare providers.
In addition to creating an asthma action plan, here are some of the steps you can take to treat an asthma flare-up:
Take quick-relief medications: Many people with asthma take quick-relief medications, usually through an inhaler, to open and relax the muscles in their airways right away. These bronchodilators are usually short-acting beta-agonists, such as albuterol.
Increasingly, combination inhalers that include the quick-acting, long-acting bronchodilator named formoterol are also being prescribed as daily controller medications and for treatment of asthma flares. If you have any questions about which inhaler you should use during a flare, talk with your healthcare provider.
See a specialist: If your asthma symptoms persist, your healthcare provider can refer you to a specialist to identify and treat the root cause.
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Do You Know What Type Of Asthma You Have
Asthma is a disease that affects your airways, which carry air in and out of your lungs. The type of asthma you have depends on your specific triggers.
Thanks to advances in asthma research, doctors have been able to identify the different types of asthma. The five most common types of asthma are: exercise-induced bronchospasm , allergic asthma, cough-variant asthma, occupational asthma, and nocturnal or nighttime asthma. EIB occurs after physical exertion. Its not always easy to determine which type of asthma you have. Proper diagnosis and regular communication with your doctor can help you to determine the best course of action.
Asthma is a chronic lung disease, so its important to receive treatment as soon as possible to ensure that your condition doesnt worsen.
When To Seek Medical Help
Often, a rescue inhaler is enough to treat an asthma attack.
If youre unable to get your asthma attack under control, you may need to seek emergency medical attention. Go to the nearest ER if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- extreme shortness of breath or wheezing, especially in the morning or at night
- needing to strain your chest muscles to breathe
- symptoms not subsiding after youve used a rescue inhaler
- having difficulty speaking
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Common Asthma Attack Triggers
An asthma trigger is an irritant that causes the airways to become inflamed and constrict. Constriction of airways marks the start of an asthma attack and can cause other symptoms like wheezing.
There isnt one single trigger of asthma. What triggers an asthma attack for one person might not be the same for another. Youll know what causes an asthma attack for you if youre exposed to an irritant and have shortness of breath or start wheezing. The most common triggers are:
After An Asthma Attack
You should see a GP or asthma nurse within 48 hours of leaving hospital, or ideally on the same day if you did not need hospital treatment.
About 1 in 6 people treated in hospital for an asthma attack need hospital care again within 2 weeks, so its important to discuss how you can reduce your risk of future attacks.
Talk to a doctor or nurse about any changes that may need to be made to manage your condition safely.
For example, the dose of your treatment may need to be adjusted or you may need to be shown how to use your inhaler correctly.
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Case : When You See A Decrease In Your Peak Flow Readings
A peak flow meter is a handheld device which measures how well your lungs are performing at their best. When the levels of your peak flow are less than 80 percent, your asthma becomes worse. This also means it is poorly taken care of. If the peak flow numbers are low or not on a consistent basis, immediately contact your doctor.
What Does Asthma Flare
Asthma flare-ups are when your asthma symptoms are worse than normal. You might have more trouble breathing, you might feel more tired, or you might have a hard time getting a good nights sleep. Asthma flare-ups dont happen often. But they can cause some scary symptoms if they do happen. Here are some of the ways that asthma symptoms can get worse: Wheezingwhen the airways tighten and the muscles around them squeeze together and make a sound with each breath. Coughingwhen the airways squeeze to push more air out of your lungs. Trouble breathingwhen things feel tight in your chest and you have to work harder to get air in and out of your lungs..
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How Can I Tell What Causes And Triggers My Asthma
Figuring out what was going on around you when you had an attack is the first step to identifying your triggers.
Your doctor may also do blood testing or ask you to use a device called a peak flow meter. It measures how much air you exhale and how quickly it comes out. It can alert you to changes in your breathing and the onset of asthma symptoms.
Ask your asthma doctor if using a peak flow meter would help you narrow down the causes of your asthma.
It can be tough to identify them all, and they can change. For example, you might not have been bothered by tree pollen when you were a child, only to have a problem with it as an adult.
Even when you know your triggers, you might have a hard time avoiding them in certain situations. For example, you may notice that your workplace is cleaned with a cleaning product that bothers your lungs.
Thatâs why itâs so important to work closely with the doctor who treats your asthma. They can help you think of strategies to avoid triggers, or at least cut down on the amount of time you spend near them. They can also make sure you have the right medication when an asthma attack does strike.
Food And Food Additives Trigger Asthma
Food allergies can cause mild to severe life-threatening reactions. They rarely cause asthma without other symptoms. If you have food allergies, asthma can be part of a severe, life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. The most common foods associated with allergic symptoms are:
Food preservatives can trigger isolated asthma, especially sulfite additives, like sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, and sodium sulfite, which are commonly used in food processing or preparation.
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Best Air Purifiers For Homes With Gas Stoves
The best air purifiers for homes with gas stoves are going to be those that can target VOCs.
This means youll want a unit that has both a True HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter. Activated carbon is effective at removing VOCs and odors, while the True HEPA filter can trap other asthma allergens like dust, dander, pollen, and mold.
How many air purifiers you may need depends on the size and natural airflow of your home. To get the best solution for each room of your home, pay attention to the clean air delivery rate score.
This determines how effectively an air purifier can clean the air within a set period. However, CADR scores can vary depending on the pollutant being targeted, and there are no CADR scores assigned for VOC filtration.
If youre unsure of where to start your search, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers has created a CADR online directory to find a clean air appliance that fits your needs.
How To Prevent An Asthma Flare
You can do your best to prevent an asthma flare-up before it begins. Since many asthma symptoms are caused by asthma triggers, you should:
- Monitor your symptoms to figure out what your asthma triggers are . Record your PEF readings on a regular basis and keep a log of your symptoms.
- Avoid exposure to allergens, irritants, and pollutants. For example, control pet dander at home if you have pets. If you have seasonal allergies, consider wearing a mask and closing your doors and windows when the pollen count is high.
- Stop smoking, if you havent already.
- Get the seasonal flu vaccine, especially if illnesses make your asthma symptoms worse.
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Asthma Uk Community Forum
I am a new asthmatic and my first flare up lasted two months. I had mild everyday symptoms that werent that serious but really annoying. Does anyone else have chronic flare ups?
PS. I did go to my pulmo for this but that didnt help.
Ive had asthma for most of my 58 years on the planet. Yes, symptoms can last for weeks and months at a time. I get the feeling that medics tend to believe that once any individual acute crisis is over that things quickly get back on an even keel. And sometimes they do. But sometimes they dont. It was a lot worse in the days before inhalers, when the only relief was to sit up by an open window. Your asthma is unique to you, and in time youll become the best expert you know. Asthma is horrible, frightening and hardly life-enhancing. I know its a cliche, but the most important thing is not to allow yourself to be defined by your asthma. Your are Georgiax who by the way has asthma, but you dont need to be an asthmatic who happens to be called Georgia.
I love your reply. Thank you for this. *hugs*
Hi Georgiax
I too have asthma with post nasal drip which can be very annoying at times especially when you lie down to sleep. Ive had asthma for about 18 years and mine was late onset Im now 56.
I dont have a wheeze but I cough constantly. My peak flow is always great and my nurse commented last week that it was much better than hers and she is only mid 20s!
What Are Common Asthma Attack Triggers
An asthma attack happens when someone comes in contact with substances that irritate them. Healthcare providers call these substances triggers. Knowing what triggers your asthma makes it easier to avoid asthma attacks.
For some people, a trigger can bring on an attack right away. Sometimes, an attack may start hours or days later.
Triggers can be different for each person. But some common triggers include:
- Air pollution: Many things outside can cause an asthma attack. Air pollution includes factory emissions, car exhaust, wildfire smoke and more.
- Dust mites: You cant see these bugs, but they are in many homes. If you have a dust mite allergy, they can cause an asthma attack.
- Exercise: For some people, exercising can cause an attack.
- Mold: Damp places can spawn mold. It can cause problems for people with asthma. You dont even have to be allergic to mold to have an attack.
- Pests: Cockroaches, mice and other household pests can cause asthma attacks.
- Pets: Your pets can cause asthma attacks. If youre allergic to pet dander , breathing in the dander can irritate your airways.
- Tobacco smoke: If you or someone in your home smokes, you have a higher risk of developing asthma. The best solution is to quit smoking.
- Strong chemicals or smells.
With asthma, you may not have all of these symptoms. You may have different signs at different times. And symptoms can change between asthma attacks.
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