Chronic Lung Disease: Asthma And Triggers

Asthma is a chronic (lifelong) lung disease that makes it harder to move air in and out of your lungs. With asthma, your airways' lining tends to always be in a hypersensitive state characterized by redness and swelling (inflammation). It's similar to how your skin becomes red, irritated and sensitive after a sunburn. With asthma, the airways in your lungs are often swollen or inflamed. This makes them extra sensitive to things that you are exposed to in the environment every day. When you have asthma, it is important to know what your “triggers” are. A trigger could be a cold or the weather, or things in the environment, such as dust, chemicals, smoke and pet dander. When you breathe in a trigger, the insides of your airways swell even more. This narrows the space for the air to move in and out of the lungs. The muscles that wrap around your airways also …show more content…
Sometimes, people have asthma when they are very young and as their lungs develop, the symptoms go away, but it's possible that it will come back later in life. Sometimes people get asthma for the first time when they are older. Most people with asthma experience a tight feeling in the chest, shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing at some point in their life. Common asthma symptoms when your asthma is not well-controlled include a tight feeling in the chest, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. It's important to recognize these signs and talk to you doctor so you can be symptom-free, active and healthy. The cause for asthma varies from person to person but understanding the experiences or exposures that make your asthma flare-up is a key step to better managing your asthma. A combination of genetics and exposures to certain elements in the environment put people at the greatest risk of developing asthma for the first time but there are also normal everyday factors as well such as family history, viral respiratory infections, allergies, smoking, obesity, and air