Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways with links to the immune system. Inflammation occurs in the airways that lead to the lungs, known as bronchial tubes, causing blockage and breathing difficulties. However, the understanding of asthma has developed over time and continues to do so.
An image of an asthma-inflamed bronchial tube on a white background. If you have asthma your airways are always inflamed. They become even more swollen and the muscles around the airways can tighten when something triggers your symptoms. This makes it difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and/or chest tightness.
For many asthma sufferers, timing of these symptoms is closely related to physical activity. And, some otherwise healthy people can develop asthma symptoms only when exercising. This is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), or exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Staying active is an important way to stay healthy, so asthma shouldn’t keep you on the sidelines. Your physician can develop a management plan to keep your symptoms under control before, during and after physical activity
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness or pain
- Chronic coughing
- Trouble sleeping due to coughing or wheezing
- Challenge test
- Lung tests in children
- Exhaled nitric oxide test
- Peak airflow
- Provocation tests