Asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a condition that affects the airways – the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. If you have asthma your airways are almost always sensitive and inflamed. When you come in to contact with something you are allergic to, or something that irritates your airways (a trigger), your airways will become narrower, making it harder to breathe.
The symptoms of asthma are Coughing, Wheezing, Shortness of breath and a tight feeling in the chest.
Asthma can affect anyone. Some people get asthma as a child, it may then disappear later in life. Others will develop asthma later on in life, the trigger for this is not known for sure, but could be due to changes in environments, pollution etc.

Asthma Treatment

It is important to get your asthma under control. There are several types of treatments, the main types are a reliever inhaler and a preventer inhaler. A Reliever inhaler is taken to relieve the symptoms, they work quickly to relax the muscles around the narrowing airways. A Preventer inhaler help to prevent the swelling and inflammation in the airways. They also prevent the airways from being sensitive to triggers.

Asthma Reviews and their Importance

Asthma is a long term condition that needs to be treated on an individual basis. It is important to be reviewed by the Asthma Nurse or Doctor, so they can monitor your asthma symptoms and the effectiveness of the treatment you are using. The Asthma review takes 20 minutes. It involves having your peak flow measured (this is a measurement of how hard you can blow air out of your lungs). Looking at your inhaler technique, to make sure you are getting the maximum benefit from your medications, taking your blood pressure and your smoking status. The implications of smoking are greater if you are asthmatic, and we can help you to stop smoking.