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HUSKIE HEALTH PRESENTS

May is Asthma

Awareness

Month

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Asthma

Asthma is a lifelong disease that affects your lungs. It’s an inflammation in your lungs which causing: repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and early morning or night time coughing.

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Normal lung

Vs

Asthmatic lung

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Asthma Statistics

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Mild Asthma Symptoms

  • Breathing is a little difficult and only slightly faster than usual
  • You can speak in complete sentences
  • You have a slight wheeze, cough, shortness of breath and/or tightness in the chest
  • Skin color is good
  • Alert and know what’s going on
  • Not drawing in rib cage to breathe

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Moderate Asthma Symptoms

  • Breathing is more difficult and somewhat faster that’s usual
  • Speaking in short phrases because it’s hard to breathe
  • Wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and/or tightness in the chest
  • Symptoms wake you up more than 2x/month
  • You miss school or often skip activities due to asthma

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Asthma Attack

An episode of increased asthma symptoms is called an asthma attack. It can start slowly or suddenly. The muscles around the airway tighten making the airway narrow - which blocks air flow and makes it hard to breathe

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Asthma can be controlled

Inhalers or other medications help asthma stay in control.

Other ways to help your asthma stay in control is to avoid triggers that cause flare ups.

Follow up with your doctor on a regular basis

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Common triggers that cause asthma flare ups

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Your Asthma is controlled if…

  • You have symptoms no more than 2 days/week, and these symptoms don’t wake you up from sleep

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  • You can do all your normal activities

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  • You have no more than 1 asthma attack/year that requires you to take a medication for several days afterwards

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  • You need to take quick-relief medicines no more than 2 days per week.

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When to seek emergency treatment

  • Severe breathlessness or wheezing
  • Inability to speak more than short phrases
  • Straining your chest muscles to breathe
  • No improvement after using quick acting inhaler

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Do you think you have asthma?

Take the quiz to see if you need to see your doctor about asthma today.