Asthma is a condition that affects the airways- the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. In asthma, the airways become over-sensitive; meaning that they react to things that wouldn’t usually cause a problem, such as cold air or dust.

When the airways react to a substance, the muscles of the tube walls tighten up, making them narrow and leaving little room for air to flow in and out. The lining of the airways then gets swollen (just like your nose during a cold) and sticky mucus is produced which clogs up the breathing passages.

With so little space in the airways, it becomes difficult for air to move in and out and the chest has to work much harder to breathe. Tightening of the muscles around the airways can happen quickly; this is the most common cause of mild asthma symptoms.

Thankfully, this tightness can be relieved quickly with a reliever inhaler (usually blue). However, the swelling and mucus happen more slowly and need a different treatment. This usually is usually a preventer inhaler which is taken daily to allow the effect to build up over time.

The majority of people with asthma are prescribed a daily preventer inhaler to protect against an asthma attack and a reliever inhaler to use when symptoms occur. It is extremely important that preventer medication is taken regularly, as prescribed and even when asthma symptoms are not present.

The symptoms of asthma include experiencing breathlessness, a tightness of the chest, having a cough or making a wheezing. There is great variation in how many symptoms a person may experience, and while some may only have one symptom others may experience several symptoms.

An individual will experience symptoms of asthma when he or she is exposed to so-called triggers, which irritate the person’s lungs leading to the airways becoming narrow, the muscles around the airways tightening and an increase in the production of mucus (phlegm).

It is important to be aware of the triggers so that they then can be avoided. There is a great variation in triggers and they can be related to weather conditions, exercise, allergens, medication, foods, and airborne irritants. Some common triggers include cigarette smoke, the use of certain pain killers (aspirin and ibuprofen), cold air, sudden changes in temperature, and from consuming food that contains sulphites.

The aim of asthma treatment is to maintain good control as good control can prevent damage caused to your lungs by frequent asthma attacks and flare ups.
Good control of your asthma is:

• Not experiencing daytime or night time symptoms from you asthma
• Not being prevented from doing things (such as exercising) by your asthma
• Not needing to use your reliever inhaler (normally blue – salbutamol)
• Not experiencing asthma attacks

If you don’t think your asthma is well controlled a face to face appointment with your primary doctor is the best way to address this

Useful link: Asthma Society of Ireland: www.asthma.ie