Living with

Asthma
by Scott Nguyen & Carlos Garcia

Introduction to asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung disease
Characterized by chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.
Blockage of airflow due to muscle swelling/squeezing or excess mucous
12-15 million people in US has it
Up to 5 million children

symptoms
coughing especially at night
wheezing
shortness of breath
chest tightness, pain, or pressure
trouble sleeping

.
treatments
Asthma medication
Steroid and other anti-inflammatory drugs
inhalers
Medicine in bottle you inhale
Asthma nebulizer
mouth piece or mask specifically used for people with difficulty using inhalers

Tests and Diagnosis

Spirometry Test
estimates the narrowing of your
bronchial tubes by checking how
much air you can exhale after a
deep breath and how fast you can
breathe out.

Peak Flow Test

simple device that measures how
hard you can breathe out. Lower than
usual peak flow readings are a sign
your lungs may not be working as well
and that your asthma may be getting
worse.

Whos in Danger?
asthma affects 300 million people in the world and more than 22 million in the United
States. Although people of all ages suffer from the disease, it most often starts in
childhood, currently affecting 6 million children in the US. Asthma kills about
255,000 people worldwide every year.
Others In risk:
People with allergies, smoke tobacco, obese, during pregnancy, stress,

Types of Asthma
Allergic Asthma
The Symptoms that go along with
allergic asthma show up after you
breathe things called allergens (or
allergy triggers) like pollen,
dust mites, or mold. If you have
asthma (allergic or nonallergic), it
gets worse after you exercise in
cold air or after breathing smoke,
dust, or fumes. Sometimes even a
strong smell can set it off.

Cough-Variant Asthma
Cough-variant asthma is a type of asthma in which the main
symptom is a dry, non-productive cough. symptoms such as
wheezing or shortness of breath.
Cough-variant asthma is sometimes called chronic cough to
describe a cough that has lasted longer than six to eight
weeks. The Coughing with asthma can occur during the day
or at night.

More types of Asthma

Occupational Asthma
caused by, or worsened by, exposure to substances in
the workplace

Nocturnal Asthma
Nocturnal asthma, with symptoms like
chest tightness, shortness of breath,
cough, and wheezing at night