Asthma
December 3, 2008 by rainier
Asthma is a disease in which the airways into your lungs become narrow and produce mucus. When this happens, it is hard to breathe. Some things that can trigger an asthma attack include allergies, cold viruses, medicines, dusts, chemicals, exercise or emotions.
Signs
• Breathing faster than normal or trouble breathing
• Wheezing or noisy breathing
• Coughing that may be worse at night or early in the morning
• Feeling tight in the chest
• Having a fast heartbeat
• Having head congestion
• Having a itchy, scratchy or sore throat
• Being tired
• If your doctor ordered a peak flow meter, having a drop in peak flow meter readings
You may have more signs of asthma if you:
• Have allergies
• Have a family member with asthma
• Are sensitive to air pollution
• Are exposed to smoke
• Have stress
Your Care
Your care may include:
• Taking different medicines to:
─ Open airways
─ Decrease your body’s response to allergens
─ Decrease the swelling of your airways
─ Decrease congestion
• Finding out what causes your signs.
• Allergy testing.
• Using a peak flow meter to check and prevent asthma attacks.
• Drinking a large glass of liquid every 1-2 hours. This helps keep your mucus thin. Thin mucus is easier for you to cough up and decreases the swelling in your lungs. Clear liquids are best, such as water, fruit juice, tea, broth and clear soups.
• Avoiding milk products when wheezing because they can thicken your mucus.
