Asthma
Key take awaysāā
- Asthma is a serious and chronic lung disease that makes it hard to breathe.
- āAsthma symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
- Talk to a health care provider if you are having asthma symptoms.
- There is no cure for asthma, but it can be controlled with proper treatment. ā
What is asthma?
Asthma is a serious, chronic (long-term) lung disease that causes a personās airways to swell and produce extra mucus which makes it hard to breathe. The main asthma symptoms include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
Asthma affects 1 in 7 Californians. There is no cure for asthma, but it can be controlled. Everyone with asthma should work closely with their health care provider to learn about medicines that may prevent or relieve symptoms and episodāes, and how to avoid their asthma triggers. People with asthma can live healthy, active lives when they take steps to manage their condition.
Watch CDPHās Scope of Asthma Module to learn about asthma and what happens in the lungs when someone has asthma.ā
āāWhat are asthma symptoms?
Asthma symptoms can vary from person-to-to person. They can be mild or severe or occur often or rarely. Common asthma symptoms include:
- Wheezing, which is a whistling sound when you breathe out
- Coughing, especially at night or early morning
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness
What are asthma attacks?
Asthma attacks (also known as asthma episodes or flare-ups) happen when airways in the lungs become narrow due to swelling, extra mucus, or tightening of the muscles around the airways making it hard to breathe. During an asthma attack, symptoms can get much worse and can be life-threatening. Asthma attacks can be caused by
asthma triggersā.ā
It is important to have a plan for when an asthma attack happens. Talk to a health care provider about having an
asthma action planā to help know what to do and when to call 9-11 for emergency care.
What are asthma triggers?
Asthma triggers are things that can start or worsen asthma symptoms. Triggers can be different for each person, so it is important to recognize what those triggers are to eliminate or avoid them. Examples of common asthma triggers include air pollution, cleaning products (e.g., bleach), pet dander, mold, pollen, exercise, tobacco smoke, wood smoke, dust mites, or infections like the cold or flu. Watch CDPHās Asthma Triggers Module below to learn more about common asthma triggers and how to eliminate or avoid them.
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What are the causes and risk factors for developing asthma?
The causes of asthma are not known and are different for each person. Genetics and exposure to certain things in a personās environment are factors that make a person at higher risk for developing asthma and may include:
- Family History ā People with a parent with asthma are more likely to develop asthma than someone who does not have a parent with asthma.
- Allergies ā People who have asthma often have other types of allergies including food or pollen allergies.
- Viral infections ā Catching viral infections that affect breathing, such as colds, flus, or sinus infections can be a risk factor for asthma.
- Occupational hazards ā People who work in workplaces where they are exposed to chemical fumes, vapors, and industrial or wood dusts are at higher risk of developing asthma.
- Smoking ā People who are exposed to cigarette smoke, whether through first-, second-, or thirdhand smoke are at higher risk of developing asthma.
- Environmental factors ā Things in a personās environment can be asthma triggers. Common environmental asthma triggers include mold, air pollution, smoke, and pests.
- Social Determinants of Health ā Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are the non-medical factors that influence a personās health. These include income, access to education, access to quality health care, and living conditions in the neighborhood or home that someone lives in. Low income and poor access to services, such as education and health care, can contribute to more asthma symptoms, emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
- Reviewing a personās medical history and asking questions about their health, including symptoms and family history
- Conducting a physical exam, including evaluating asthma symptoms, and
- Ordering some tests to diagnose asthma, such as a lung function test, which measures how well you can breathe in and out.
How caān asthma be treated and managed?
While there is no cure for asthma, it can be controlled. A health care provider should treat asthma using the
National Institutes of Health Asthma Management Guidelines. Everyone with asthma should work closely with their health care provider to:
People with asthma can live healthy, active lives when they take steps to manage their condition.
Asthma Medications
A health care provider will base treatment depending on a personās age, how serious symptoms are, and how the person responds to medicines. Common asthma medications are the quick-relief medications and long-term controller medications.
- Quick-relief medications are used to treat asthma symptoms quickly by relaxing the muscles that tighten around the airways. The effects only last about 4-6 hours.
- Long-term controller medications are taken daily and help to prevent asthma symptoms. A health care provider will prescribe long-term controller medications if asthma cannot be controlled with just a quick-relief medication.
Learn more about asthma medications by watching CDPHās Asthma Medications Module below.
It is important to take these asthma medications properly. Watch CDPHās Medication Devices Module below for more information.
Asthma Action Plan
An asthma action plan is a written document that helps people manage and control asthma symptoms on their own. All people with asthma should have an asthma action plan. A health care provider works with patients with asthma to create an individualized asthma action plan, which includes instructions on:
- What medications to take, how often, and how to take them
- What to do when asthma is well controlled
- What to do to keep asthma from getting worse, and
- What to do in an asthma emergency.
Sample Asthma Action Plans
Learn more about how to assess for asthma control and asthma management by watching CDPHās Asthma Assessment and Monitoring Module below.
āāAsthma Programsā
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