Asthma is a long-term disease of the lungs. This chronic condition causes narrowing and inflammation of the airways that can make it difficult to breathe.
Types of Asthma
One of the first steps to managing your asthma is to identify the type of asthma you have. There are several types of asthma:
- Allergic asthma—This form of asthma may be triggered by pet dander, dust, pollen, etc.
- Non-allergic asthma—Non-allergic asthma may be brought on by stress, illness, environmental factors, or even some medications.
- Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction—Ever feel short of breath when you participate in exercise? You may have exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.
- Occupational Asthma—Sometimes environmental triggers that exist at work, like chemicals, etc., may cause occupational asthma.
- For more information about other types of asthma, visit the American Lung Association's website.
Common symptoms of asthma
The symptoms of asthma may be mild to severe. The following symptoms may indicate that you have asthma:
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing (especially at night, during exercise or when laughing)
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest tightness
- Wheezing
- Stress
If you suspect that the symptoms you are having are asthma, reach out to your health care professional. You don’t have to let asthma slow you down!