Exercise and other activities that make you breathe harder can affect your asthma. Exercise — especially in cold air — is a frequent asthma trigger. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction EIB is a form of asthma that is triggered by physical activity. It is also known as exercise-induced asthma EIA.
Symptoms may not appear until after several minutes of sustained exercise. If symptoms appear sooner than this, it usually means you need to adjust your treatment. With proper treatment, you do not need to limit your physical activity. Many factors can also trigger asthma and cause symptoms to worsen. Triggers for asthma can vary and some people may be more sensitive to certain triggers than others.
The most common triggers include :. Instead, your doctor will use a variety of criteria to determine if the symptoms are the result of asthma. The following can help diagnose asthma:.
Instead, they may prescribe asthma medications to your child and wait to see if symptoms improve. If they do, your child likely has asthma. For adults, your doctor may prescribe a bronchodilator or other asthma medication if test results indicate asthma.
If symptoms improve with the use of this medication, your doctor will continue to treat your condition as asthma. Your doctor will also need to determine the type of asthma you have. The most common type is allergic asthma, representing 60 percent of all cases of asthma.
Irritants in the air not related to allergies trigger this type of asthma. These irritants might include:.
Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction EIB usually affects people within a few minutes of starting exercise and up to 10 to 15 minutes after physical activity. Up to 90 percent of people with asthma also experience EIB, but not everyone with EIB will have other types of asthma.
The symptoms may begin within minutes or hours. People with AIA also typically have nasal polyps. About 9 percent of people with asthma have AIA. It usually develops suddenly in adults between the ages of 20 and Treatments for asthma fall into four primary categories:.
Your treatment plan may also involve learning your triggers, monitoring your symptoms carefully, and taking steps to avoid flare-ups.
These medications should only be used in the event of asthma symptoms or an attack. Most people will have normal, active lives, although some people with more severe asthma may have ongoing problems. Although asthma can normally be kept under control, it's still a serious condition that can cause a number of problems. This is why it's important to follow your treatment plan and not ignore your symptoms if they're getting worse.
There's also a risk of severe asthma attacks, which can be life threatening. Page last reviewed: 19 April Next review due: 19 April Your doctor will ask about your risk factors for asthma and your symptoms. They may ask also about any known allergies.
This includes how often symptoms occur, what seems to trigger your symptoms, when or where symptoms occur, and if your symptoms wake you up at night. Your doctor may ask you to perform the following tests to determine whether your symptoms are caused by asthma. It can be hard to tell whether a child under age 6 has asthma or another respiratory condition, because young children often cannot perform a pulmonary function test such as spirometry.
If you are diagnosed with asthma, your doctor will work with you to create a treatment plan to manage your asthma symptoms and prevent asthma attacks. Treatment usually depends on your age, asthma severity, and response to a given treatment option. Your doctor may adjust your treatment until asthma symptoms are controlled. Most people are treated long-term with daily controller s , along with another inhaler for short-term relief, when they have symptoms or to prevent symptoms.
An inhaler allows the medicine to go into the mouth and airways. Short-term relief medicines, also called quick-relief medicines, help prevent symptoms or relieve symptoms during an asthma attack. They may be the only medicines needed for mild asthma or asthma that happens only with physical activity. Your doctor will prescribe a quick-relief inhaler for you to carry at all times. Your doctor may prescribe long-term control medicines to take daily to help prevent symptoms by reducing airway inflammation and preventing narrowing of the airways.
Treatment with specific control medicines may differ depending on age, such as whether the person is an adult or child. Return to Causes to review what causes asthma symptoms.
If you have a severe asthma attack and need emergency care, you may be treated with medicines, such as those listed above, given with a nebulizer or IV. You may also receive oxygen therapy or breathing assistance. This may include ventilator support or through a mask with forced air. In certain cases, your doctor may recommend a procedure called bronchial thermoplasty if you are 18 years or older and have severe asthma that remains uncontrolled despite using other treatments.
In this procedure, your doctor will insert a bronchoscope into your airway through the mouth or the nose. This helps your doctor see inside the airways. Heat is used to reduce the muscle around the airway to help prevent constriction. Read more about bronchial thermoplasty in our fact sheet. After being diagnosed with asthma, work with your doctor to learn how to manage it yourself. Because asthma symptoms may be different at different times, it is important to know which medicines to use to prevent and relieve symptoms.
You can work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan, called an asthma action plan. Staying healthy also includes avoiding asthma triggers and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Work with your doctor to create an asthma action plan that works for you. An asthma action plan is a written treatment plan document that describes the following. Your doctor will make sure you are using your inhaler correctly. There are different types of inhalers. Review the way you use your inhaler at every medical visit.
Sometimes asthma may get worse because of incorrect inhaler use. Watch our video on Asthma Action Plans to learn more. Then, download a sample Asthma Action Plan. Asthma triggers are things that set off or worsen asthma symptoms. If you know that your asthma symptoms occur when you are exposed to specific triggers, it may be worthwhile to reduce your exposure to those triggers, using multiple different methods to reduce the exposure.
Read more about reducing allergens in your home. Regular checkups are important to help your doctor determine how well you are controlling your asthma and adjust treatment if needed. Your doctor will also do regular tests to see how well your lungs are working and how well air is flowing. Your medicines or dosages may change over time, based on changes in your condition or in your life, such as:. Return to Treatment to review possible treatment options for your asthma. Ask your doctor about asthma training or support groups to help you keep asthma under control.
Education can help you understand the purpose of your medicines, how to prevent symptoms, how to recognize asthma attacks early, and when to seek medical attention. As part of your asthma action plan, your doctor may show you how to monitor your asthma using a peak flow meter. You can compare your numbers over time to make sure your asthma is controlled. A low number can help warn you of an asthma attack, even before you notice symptoms. Keeping a diary may help if you find it hard to follow your asthma action plan or the plan is not working well.
If you have any of the following experiences, record them in the diary and make an appointment to see your doctor. Bring the diary with you to your appointment.
Your child also may seem more tired called fatigue , irritable, or moody. Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following heart-healthy lifestyle changes to help keep asthma symptoms in check. Your doctor may recommend that you keep your medicine dose as low as possible to prevent long-term side effects. High doses of certain asthma medicines over time can increase your risk of cataracts and osteoporosis. A cataract is the clouding of lens in your eye.
Osteoporosis is a disorder that makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Keep your asthma under control and contact your doctor if anything changes. When asthma is unmanaged, it can lead to potentially life-threatening asthma attacks.
If you are pregnant, it can put the health of your unborn baby at risk. A written asthma action plan developed with your doctor can help you know when to call for emergency care. Asthma attacks can be more dangerous for some people. You should seek care immediately during an asthma attack if you or your child:.
For young children with asthma, call if they:. We are committed to advancing science and translating discoveries into clinical practice to promote the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders, including asthma. Learn about the current and future NHLBI efforts to improve health through research and scientific discovery. Learn about the following ways the NHLBI continues to translate current research into improved health for people who have asthma.
In support of our mission , we are committed to advancing asthma research in part through the following ways. We lead or sponsor many studies on asthma. See if you or someone you know is eligible to participate in our clinical trials. To learn more about clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center or to talk to someone about a study that might fit your needs, call the Office of Patient Recruitment Learn more about participating in a clinical trial.
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