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Asthma Intro Page

Material cheerfully filched from
The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand Inc
(they won't mind -- I'm trying to help people!)

Have you, or your child, been told you have asthma? 1 in every 6 New Zealanders has asthma. Anyone can get it, and it can start at any time of life. Other people in your family may have it too. You, or other people in your family, may also tend to get hay-fever or eczema.

There are lots of things you can do to manage your asthma well, and you can get help and advice from your doctor, nurse or asthma educator. Remember -

Asthma can be treated, and most people with asthma live life normally.

Is it asthma?

If you have asthma you might sometimes feel:

Wheezy (your breath might 'whistle' in and out)
Short of breath
Tight in the chest
Or you might have a cough.

Some of these symptoms may occur suddenly (an 'asthma attack'), or you may be troubled by some of the symptoms all of the time.

Your doctor will be able to help. He or she will examine you, do some breathing tests and listen to your description of what has been happening. Your doctor will then be able to give you treatment and advice to help you keep your asthma under control.

Triggers

Some things, called 'triggers', can make you feel worse. They are different for different people but can be things like:

Colds and flu
Cigarette smoke
Exercise
Cats and other pets
House dust mites (found in carpets and bedding)
Weather changes
Some plants


What happens?

When you breathe air travels into your lungs through your breathing tubes. When you have asthma your breathing tubes are over sensitive and react to things that don't affect other people. These triggers cause the breathing tubes in your lungs to tighten, partially close up, swell inside and make more mucus. All of this means that it is much harder to breathe in and out.

Normal breathing tube

Breathing tube in asthma

 

Tightening of the muscle around the breathing tubes can happen very quickly and can often be relieved quickly too, with a 'puff' from your "reliever" inhaler (usually blue). Other medicines that you take everyday ("preventers") will stop the swelling and mucus production.

Isn't it all in the mind really?

NO. Asthma is caused by physical changes that happen in your body, that you have no control over. However, being stressed or anxious can sometimes make your asthma worse.

What causes asthma?

We don't know yet what causes so many people to get asthma. We do know that is it most common in English-speaking countries like New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia and the USA. It may be related to 'modern living' — perhaps to changes to the environment, our diet, or different exposure to some infections. It is likely that all of these things have an effect, and hopefully in the future researchers will come up with a way of preventing people getting asthma.

What can I do?

Get advice - talk to your doctor, practice nurse and your nearest Asthma Society. They will be able to help you to stay free of symptoms. They will give you help with:

A Self Management Plan or a Child Asthma Plan
Advice on what to do if you think there is something that makes your asthma worse
The right way to use your 'puffer' (inhaler)
How to use a Peak Flow Meter (this measures your breathing) or Symptom Diary (to help   identify your triggers)
Anything else you want to know.
Other things you can do include keeping fit, not smoking, and where possible, avoiding the   things that trigger your asthma.

Asthma medicines

Your doctor will prescribe medicine to help stop your breathing tubes from over-reacting. You will probably get two different kinds, a preventer, to help prevent the breathing tubes from reacting, and a reliever, to relieve the symptoms if a trigger does set them off. You may also be prescribed a symptom controller, which is a type of long-acting reliever.

Preventers

Preventers are taken every day, even when you feel well. This medicine soothes the breathing tubes, and makes them less irritable. Even though you can't feel it, when you have asthma your breathing tubes swell and produce extra mucus all of the time. Taking your preventer every day helps stop this from happening and makes your asthma less troublesome.

Preventers are often in brown or orange containers.

Some common ones are: Becotide™, Flixotide™ and Pulmicort™ (these are NZ trade names; they may differ internationally) .


Relievers

Relievers treat 'asthma attacks' if they do happen. They relax the muscles around the breathing tubes that tighten if you are exposed to one of your triggers.

Relievers are most often in blue containers.

Some common ones are: Bricanyl™, Respolin™, Ventolin™ and Airomir™ (these are NZ trade names; they may differ internationally).


Symptom Controllers


These are taken twice a day to keep the muscle relaxed, and last 12 hours. They don't have the same effect as the preventer inhalers, and a preventer is always prescribed at the same time. A reliever may still have to be used occasionally.


Some common ones are: Foradil™, Serevent™, Oxis™ (these are NZ trade names; they may differ internationally).

These medicines most often come in an inhaler (puffer), as this is the best way to get the medicine straight to your lungs. There are also tablets and liquid forms of some asthma medicines -— however these are generally slower to work. There are many different types of inhalers, and your doctor, nurse or asthma educator will help you decide which one is best for you.

What is a Self Management Plan?

A Self Management Plan (or Child Asthma Plan for children) helps you to know what to do if your asthma is getting worse or you have a bad attack. It gives you written instructions on:

What to do
Who to call, and
Where to go


It might tell you to take more of one of your inhalers, or that you need extra treatment (like steroid tablets from your doctor). Your plan will be written especially for you so you will always know what to do. The Plan will also give you guidance on what to do when your asthma improves again. It should be updated every 3-6 months, or if there has been a significant change in your symptoms or medication.

Can I manage without taking my medicines?

There may be times in your life when you can manage with less medicine, and often if you have been well for 3-6 months your doctor will suggest you try this (as part of your Self Management Plan). Generally though it is always best to keep a small supply of your asthma medicine, just in case something triggers your asthma.

Some people do try other methods - homeopathy, acupuncture, special diets, massage and traditional medicines. These methods have not been tested scientifically— like conventional medicine— for the extent to which they help your asthma, or for their potential to cause side effects. However some people do find alternative treatments helpful. If you want to try something, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor or nurse about it, and to always have your regular asthma medicines available in case you need them.

Will my asthma go away or get worse?

A lot of children seem to 'grow out of asthma' by their teens, although they may get it back in later life. In adults it tends to remain. It is hard to say for any one person what the future holds - but asthma is not bound to get worse.

One thing that definitely does have an effect on asthma is smoking. Don't smoke, or if you do, get help to stop (you can talk to your doctor or nurse).

Is asthma dangerous?

For most people, asthma is just something they need to be a bit careful about. People do get sudden or bad attacks though, and every year some people do die from asthma. It is important you know what to do if you are having a bad attack (your Self Management Plan or Child Asthma Plan will tell you).

To sum up

To keep your asthma under control:

See your doctor, nurse or Asthma Educator
Keep taking your preventer every day
Use a Peak Flow Meter to measure what is happening in your breathing tubes
Try to avoid what triggers your asthma
DO NOT SMOKE
Keep healthy and fit
Know what to do if your asthma worsens -
use your Self Management Plan or Child Asthma Plan.

Now go to the NZ Asthma Foundation site and learn lots more!

 

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