But theres plenty you’ve got the option to do to keep asthma symptoms in check.
Keep reading to find out more about this surprisingly common yet complex disease.
First, a quick primer on asthma itself.
Asthma symptoms typically include wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
Asthma is a disease of the airways, Dr. Galiatsatos explains.
For most of us, air flows freely in and out of the lungs.
When we exhale, the diameter of those airways close.
That shrinkage of the diameter isnt an issueunless you have asthma.
With asthma, your airways are always inflamed, meaning they become swollen and produce mucus.
That, in short, is anasthma attack.
What does asthma feel like?
People describe thefeeling of asthmain different ways.
Your breathing becomes labored.
What are asthma symptoms?
When your airways narrow, you dont have as much space through which to breathe.
Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, tells SELF.
Thats because theres a pop in of asthma calledcough-variant asthma.
Obviously having a terrible cold orgetting sick all the timedoesnt automatically mean you have asthma.
Asthma limits your bodys ability to efficiently collect oxygen.
How do you know if your asthma is mild, moderate, or severe?
Asthma severity is typically classified as intermittent, mild, moderate, and severe.
Do asthma symptoms feel different at night?
Daytime asthma symptoms are no walk in the park, but nighttime asthma symptoms can be especially disruptive.
For one, asthma symptoms can wake you out of a dead sleep.
Imagine if someone put a pillow over your face, Dr. Galiatsatos says.
But who are these people with asthma who experience nighttime symptoms?
There are some patients who experience worsebreathlessness at nightfor a variety of reasons, Dr. Galiatsatos explains.
Some of it is that the physiological change in body temperature could be enough to set off someones asthma.
Some questions to ask yourself are: Do you sleep with your pet?
Get in bed without showering off the days pollutants?
Slumber with the windows open?
If you answered yes to any of these things, one simple solution is to address those behaviors.
What are the types of asthma?
For those people withallergic asthma, their allergies are oftentimes the trigger for their disease.
Up toone in three people with asthmahave non-allergic asthma2.
That can make it confusing when it comes to diagnosis.
Asthma that is unmasked during adulthood is a little sneakier than childhood asthma, Dr. Galiatstatos says.
With adults, their lungs have grown to a certain extent so its never Oh, I cant breathe!
Its more of a gradual thing over a day or two of kicking in.
Even seemingly inconsequential actions like a display of emotion that affect normal breathingshouting and laughingcan trigger asthma symptoms.
How is asthma diagnosed?
Asthma is diagnosed by a spectrum of variables, not just one thing, Dr. Ogden says.
Your doctor will look at your clinical history and symptoms, pulmonary function testing, and response to medication.
One thing you will need for diagnosis is a big inhale and exhale, or several.
