FIGHT ASTHMA
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What is asthma?|Why do I have asthma?|What can I do?
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs. Asthma can't be cured. Even when you feel fine, you still have the disease and it can flare up at any time. The linings of your air passages become inflamed and swollen, making it hard for you to breathe.
Your air passages may also tighten or "squeeze", making it even harder for you to breathe. If you have asthma, your symptoms may include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Tightness of the chest
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Mucus, or "phlegm" in the airways
Asthma symptoms can flare up and get much worse, causing sudden symptoms like shortness of breath — this is sometimes called an "asthma attack". When air passages are inflamed, they become more sensitive and prone to sudden symptoms.
Why do I have asthma?
If you suffer from asthma, you're certainly not alone. It's estimated that more than 22 million Americans have asthma — that's about one out of every 13 people! And that number has been growing in recent years.
No one knows for sure what causes asthma. Most scientists believe it's partly genetic (coming from your family) and partly environmental (caused by certain things you may have been exposed to in the air around you).
There are, however, things known to "trigger" sudden flare-ups or attacks — when your asthma gets much worse and it becomes hard for you to breathe. These triggers are different for different people, but can include:
- Allergens, or particles that cause allergic reactions in some people. Many people are sensitive to allergens such as pollen, dust, mold, pet dander, and some foods
- Irritants, or particles in the air from smoke, dirt, gases, or strong smells that irritate your air passages
- Upper respiratory infections, like colds or the flu
- Exercise, or playing sports
- Cold weather, or sudden changes in the weather
What can I do about my asthma?
There are a number of things you can do to help keep your asthma under control. Your healthcare provider will work with you to come up with a plan to control your asthma, which may include steps like avoiding allergens or exposure to irritants. Your healthcare provider may also prescribe medicine or medicines to help keep your asthma symptoms under control.
The type of medicine or medicines your healthcare provider prescribes for you will depend on how severe and frequent your asthma symptoms are, and what triggers your asthma.
There are two main types of asthma medicines:
- Quick-relief, or rescue medicines, such as albuterol or levalbuterol. These are prescribed by a healthcare provider for sudden flare-ups of asthma symptoms (i.e. an asthma attack).
- Controller medicines, such as inhaled corticosteroids like ALVESCO. These are prescribed by a healthcare provider and are taken regularly to help keep asthma symptoms under control.
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What are corticosteroids?
ALVESCO contains ciclesonide, a man-made corticosteroid. Corticosteroids are natural anti-inflammatory substances found in the body. They are used in some types of asthma medicines. They are NOT the same as the kind of steroids you may hear about some athletes misusing.
Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are very effective for long-term control of asthma because they reduce the inflammation, or swelling, that causes asthma symptoms. ICS are considered well tolerated and safe when taken as directed.
Suffering from nasal allergies too?
Many people who have asthma also suffer from nasal allergies (allergic rhinitis) with symptoms like sneezing, itchy nose, runny nose, and congestion. That's because exposure to an allergen (something you’re allergic to) can cause inflammation in both your upper and lower airways.
For example, if you're allergic to tree pollen, in the spring you may have increased swelling inside your nose, resulting in bothersome nasal allergy symptoms. You may also have increased swelling inside the airways in your lungs, making you more prone to sudden asthma symptoms.
Asthma and allergies are treated with different medicines that reduce inflammation. You might take an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) as a controller medicine to help reduce inflammation in your lungs and help control your asthma symptoms. And you might also use a nasal spray to reduce inflammation in your nose, to help control your nasal allergy symptoms.
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