Living with Asthma

Identify your Asthma –

• Do you cough a lot, especially at night or while laughing?

• Do you have breathing problem that worse after physical activity or during a particular time of year?

• Do you have symptoms such as chest tightness, wheezing, and colds that last more than 10 days?

• Do you have family history of asthma, allergies, or other breathing problems?

• Do you have Coughing or wheezing that are worsened by a cold or the flu?

• Do the symptoms typically come and go?

Identify asthma in children -

• Frequent coughing, especially during play or exercise 

• Whistling or wheezing sound

• Shortness of breath

• Chest congestion or tightness

• Lack of energy, easily getting tired

• Trouble sleeping because of coughing or breathing problems

• Panting or wheezing while playing or physical activity

What Is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways that carry air to the lungs, causing breathing difficulty, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing especially at night, during exercise or when laughing, tightness in the chest, and sleep problem resulting from breathing issues.

Various types of Asthma

Allergic Asthma - Asthma triggered by allergens like pollen, dust mites, mold spores, cockroach waste, or particles of skin and dried saliva shed by pets (pet dander). About 80% of people with asthma have allergies.

Non-allergic Asthma - Has a range of triggers, including weather conditions, exercise, infections, and stress, or often unknown. Non-allergic asthma often develops later in life.

Seasonal Asthma - Some people have asthma that only flares up at certain times of the year, such as during monsoon season, or when it’s cold, otherwise, symptom-free when triggers aren’t around.

Exercise-induced Asthma - If you start wheezing or coughing during exercise, or if physical exertion makes it difficult for you to breathe.

Occupational Asthma - If you experience wheezing, coughing, chest tightness or shortness of breath triggered by workplace irritants such as chemical fumes, gases or dust.

Cough-Variant Asthma - The primary symptom is a dry, non-productive cough. Cough-variant asthma should be suspected if bouts of coughing awaken you from sleep, coughing fits after exercise, coughing worsens in cold, dry weather, exposure to dust or pet dander sets off a coughing episode.

What are the benefits of using inhalers?

• Targeted Medication Delivery- Inhalers is a direct method of delivery of the medicine to our lungs in very small doses.  

• Effective Asthma Management

• Allow for immediate application of medicine to airways, so response to medication is quick.

• Since oral absorption is minimal, side effects are not significant for the inhaler.

• Portable, easy to carry, easy to maintain and cheaper as compared to nebulizers. 

• Relatively easy to use with proper instructions.

Are there any side-effects of taking regular inhalers?

• In prescribed doses there are no side effects of taking inhalers regularly. Scientific research has shown that even if inhalers are taken regularly for many years there are no side effects. 

• Inhalers are "NOT" addictive rather PREVENTIVE. 

Dr. Baishakhi Chandra

Pulmonologist, 

Senior Medical Officer, IITH