1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Asthma

Asthma: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Managing Asthma Symptoms
When you have asthma, learning to notice your asthma symptoms quickly, then deal with them, as well as tracking asthma symptoms, are all important steps to gaining asthma control.
Current Asthma Treatment
Asthma treatment should be personalized based on your age and your type of asthma. Find out which current asthma treatment options might be right for you, from asthma medicines to alternative therapies for asthma.
Asthma Attacks
Find out what happens during an asthma attack and how to deal with it. Asthma attacks can be frightening and they are sometimes life threatening, but with these tips you can stay healthy.
Types of Asthma Medicines
Asthma medicines can be classified into quick-relief (or rescue asthma meds) and long-term control (or preventive asthma medications) categories. Each serves a unique purpose in the control of asthma symptoms. Within each category, there are also a few different types of asthma medications.
Asthma Symptoms
Learning how to identify asthma symptoms is one of the first steps to taking control over the condition. Learn what you need to know about the common signs and symptoms of asthma and how to tell if you are getting worse, so that you can prevent asthma attacks.
What Is Asthma?
What is asthma? is often the first question asked by people who have just received a diagnosis of asthma. Understanding asthma is the first step to getting all the asthma facts and information you need.
Asthma Doctors
There are many types of doctors who treat asthma. Find out more about what type of asthma specialist, such as allergists or pulmonologists, might be right for you.
Asthma Pathophysiology
The pathophysiology of asthma is a description of what is going on inside your body and your airways when you have bronchial asthma that causes your asthma symptoms. Get an understanding of some of the underlying processes of asthma pathophysiology in people with asthma.
Diagnosis of Asthma
To make an asthma diagnosis, doctors use a specific set of factors. When doctors diagnose asthma, they look for a set of symptoms, peak flow meter levels, and other tests. Learn how asthma is diagnosed and what to tell your doctor about your breathing problems or those of your child to make diagnosing asthma easier.
Chest Tightness
Chest tightness is a common asthma symptom that results from bronchoconstriction and airway inflammation. Chest tightness feels as though you cannot take a complete breath in or out and is an asthma warning sign.
Ways to Avoid Asthma Triggers
The key to preventing asthma attacks is to avoid asthma triggers. We have some basic tips on preventing asthma by avoiding asthma triggers.
Albuterol Inhaler Profile
Albuterol inhaler is a bronchodilator type asthma medication used for quick relief of asthma symptoms.
Asthma Action Plan
Use this asthma action plan as a guideline for daily and emergency care if you or your child have asthma. It tells you what to do in case of an asthma attack.
Chronic Cough & Asthma
Chronic cough is one of the most common asthma symptoms. Especially if you notice you or your child are waking up in the middle of the night with a cough that just won't quit, asthma could be at work.
Living With Asthma Tips
Living with asthma can be challenging. Our tips and advice can help you make living with asthma and asthma management more successful. It IS possible to have a high quality of life with asthma.
Asthma Medicine Side Effects
Asthma medication side effects, risks and dangers are sometimes a concern for people who have asthma, or for parents of children with asthma. It can even prevent people from using asthma medicine, which then interferes with asthma control.
How to Use Your Action Plan
Tips on how to use your asthma action plan, step by step. Learn how to act on asthma symptoms, avoid asthma triggers and take control.
Asthma Triggers Overview
Identifying your asthma triggers is the first step in asthma control. Asthma triggers are the things that set off asthma symptoms. Once you know your triggers, you can work on avoiding them.
Flovent
Flovent, generic name fluticasone propionate, is an inhaled steroid that is used to treat asthma. Inhaled steroids like Flovent are a type of asthma medicine called controller medicines that reduce inflammation in the airways.
Spirometry - Diagnosing Asthma
Spirometry is a pulmonary function test used in diagnosing asthma. Spirometry measures how well the lungs are working.
What Is a Normal Peak Flow Rat
Got asthma? Here are the answers to your question about normal peak flow rates.
Asthma Treatment Options
Discover natural remedies for asthma that you can try if you want to supplement or complement your asthma medicines.
Bronchospasm
A bronchospasm is when the bands of muscles around your airways tighten uncontrollably.
Asthma Classifications
Classifications of asthma are important in deciding the best treatment approach. But asthma classifications may be made in several ways, so classifying asthma is not as simple as it might seem.
Wheezing - Asthma Symptom
Wheezing is probably the hallmark asthma symptom. It is often the first sign that something is wrong in the airways. If you notice that you are wheezing, or your child is, it is probably time to talk with your doctor about whether or not asthma could be to blame.
Asthma Lungs and Healthy Lungs
In people with asthma, inflammation of the airways causes airflow into and out of the lungs to be restricted. When an asthma attack occurs, mucus production is increased, muscles of the bronchial tree become tight, and the lining of the air passages swells, reducing airflow and producing the characteristic wheezing sound.
Qvar
Qvar, generic name beclamethasone dipropionate, is an inhaled steroid in a pressurized metered dose inhaler that is used to treat asthma. Inhaled steroids are a type of asthma medicine called controller medicines that reduce inflammation in the airways.
Immunotherapy and Asthma
Allergy shots and asthma have been controversially linked in the past, but today medical experts concur that allergy shots can help prevent asthma in children who are at high risk of asthma because of their allergies. Get the scoop on immunotherapy and asthma.
CFC Inhalers vs. HFA Inhalers
CFC asthma inhalers have been used for years, but now they have been banned in the US and many other parts of the world. Get the facts about their replacements, the HFA-type asthma inhalers.
Basophils
Basophils are one type of cell in the leukocyte family. They contain and release histamine and serotonin. Histamine is a major factor in the allergic response associated with inflammation.
How to Use an MDI With Spacer
It is important to know how to use a metered dose inhaler with a spacer (if that is how your doctor prescribes it) so that you get the correct amount of asthma medicine into your airways.
Allergic Asthma
Allergic asthma is the most common type of asthma, because asthma and allergies are so closely linked. Allergens are the main asthma triggers, and allergies are also one of the primary asthma risk factors. Find out how asthma and allergies relate to one another.
Common Asthma Triggers
This overview of possible asthma triggers will help you figure out what might be setting off your asthma symptoms. Knowing what allergens and irritants trigger your symptoms is the first step to preventing asthma attacks.
Tracking Asthma Symptoms
Tracking your asthma signs and symptoms is a great way to start to identify patterns and possible triggers. It also helps to evaluate how well your treatment plan is working.
Singulair - Medication Profile
Singulair (generic name montelukast sodium) is an oral asthma medicine that is used to prevent and control asthma symptoms. It cannot be used for asthma attacks. It can also help improve seasonal allergies.
Asthma Diary
You can use this asthma diary for tracking asthma symptoms, asthma triggers and response to quick-relief medicine.
Obesity and Asthma Link
Obesity and asthma—much has been made recently about a possible link between obesity and asthma. New research suggests that obesity causes asthma.
Methacholine Challenge
A methacholine challenge test is a test used to help with the diagnosis of asthma. Another name is bronchoprovocation, which means the bronchial airways are challenged, or provoked, after inhaling methacholine, causing an asthma-like reaction in sensitive people.
How to Use an MDI
Knowing how to use a metered dose inhaler correctly is essential to asthma control. Follow this step-by-step tutorial to master this crucial asthma treatment skill.
Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath is one of the 4 hallmark asthma symptoms that people who have asthma experience when their asthma is out of control. If you are feeling short of breath, you will need to use your rescue inhaler to get relief.
Asthma Drug Profiles
With these asthma drug profiles, you can learn about common asthma medications. Asthma medicines are varied in their approach, method of delivery and mechanism of action. These asthma drug profiles will clear things up.
Antihistamines for Allergies
Antihistamines are a type of allergy medicine used to treat nasal allergies and other types of allergies. Antihistamines decrease allergy symptoms by blocking the effects of histamine, a substance in your body that is involved in the allergy reaction.
Oral Steroids
Oral steroids, or more correctly, oral systemic corticosteroids, are sometimes used as part of a quick-relief plan for moderate to severe asthma attacks. Oral steroids are not the preferred quick-relief asthma medicine, but can play an important role in preventing relapse.
Why Are Peak Flow Meters Used
The main reason for using a peak flow meter is because it can tell you when your asthma is starting to get out of control - even before you start to notice symptoms.
AsthmaTreatment in Kids
Treatment of asthma in children is based on the same stepwise treatment of asthma used for adults. However, kids' asthma treatment is adjusted by age group as well as degree of control.
How to Use a Peak Flow Meter
You can use peak flow meters in conjunction with your asthma action plan. Your peak flow readings should tell you what zone in your action plan you are in, so that you know what steps to take.
Exercise Induced Asthma
Exercise induced asthma is a fairly common type of asthma that occurs in both adults and children. With EIA, asthma symptoms are triggered by exercise. Learn the facts about exercise induced asthma.
Asmanex Twisthaler
Asmanex Twisthaler (generic name mometasone furoate) is an inhaled steroid for asthma treatment. It is what is known as a controller medicine and is used for long-term relief and prevention of asthma symptoms.
About Metered Dose Inhalers
Metered dose inhalers are often used in asthma treatment, and learning how to use them properly is vital.
Immune System & Asthma
The immune system and asthma go hand in hand. Asthma symptoms are caused by a hyperreactive immune system.
Asthma Treatment Goals
Asthma treatment goals are mainly centered on asthma control. The goals of asthma treatment should also conform with current asthma treatment guidelines from the National Institutes of Health and the Global Initiative for Asthma.
How to Chart Peak Flow
Here are the answers to your questions about how to track peak flow meter measures for asthma. Get the scoop on charting PEF rates and peak flow readings.
IgE & Allergic Asthma
Knowing your IgE is important if you have allergic asthma, as this antibody is involved in both early and late stages of the allergic response. Do you know your IgE?
Asthma Controller Medicines
Asthma controller medicines help prevent asthma symptoms when taken every day as prescribed. These preventive asthma medicines include not only the highly recommended inhaled steroids, but also leukotriene modifiers, long-acting beta agonists, and immunomodulators.
Asthma Capitals of the Year
Each year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks certain urban areas in the U.S. as being the worst places to live for people who have asthma. Where does your area rank this year?
Quitting Smoking & Asthma
Smoking and asthma is not a good combination. If you have asthma, or your child has asthma, quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do. Here's why.
Long Acting Beta Agonists
Long acting beta agonists, or LABAs for short, are asthma medicines that control, or prevent asthma symptoms and asthma attacks. These are bronchodilators whose effects last for 12 hours or more. Their recommended use is in combination with inhaled steroids.
Asthma Causes & Asthma Risks
Understanding asthma causes and asthma risks can help prepare you for the development of asthma. The causes of asthma are diverse, but experts do know what many asthma risk factors are.
Pollen-Allergen/Asthma Trigger
Pollen is an airborne allergen known to trigger asthma and nasal allergies. This means that asthma symptoms may worsen when people who are also sensitive to pollen come in contact with it.
Asthma Attack
An asthma attack occurs when asthma symptoms spiral out of control.
Pollen Counts & Mold Counts
Monitoring pollen counts and mold counts makes it easier to avoid pollen and mold when they are your asthma triggers. There are many ways you can monitor pollen counts and mold counts.
Why Use Spacers with MDIs
Many people have a hard time learning how to use metered dose inhalers correctly. Using a spacer can help you get the right amount of asthma medicine, especially during an asthma attack.
Advair Diskus Med Profile
Advair Diskus is a combination asthma medication containing fluticasone and salmeterol given in a dry powder inhaler to help with maintenance and prevention of asthma. This profile provides the facts you need to know about Advair.
Flu Shots and Asthma
Flu shots are an essential preventive health technique for people who have asthma. Flu season runs November through March and asthmatics should start getting flu vaccines by October for maximum protection and to prevent asthma symptoms and asthma attacks.
Black Box Warnings
Black box warnings for asthma medications are special warnings required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on medication packages. A number of asthma medications, including Xolair, Advair, salmeterol and formoterol, have had black box warnings added in recent years.
Peak Flow Meters Overview
Peak flow meters are portable, hand-held devices that help you check how effectively your asthma is controlled by measuring how well you can push air out of your lungs. Learn about peak flow meters and how to get the most out of them for your asthma management.
Diagnostic Testing for Asthma
To make an asthma diagnosis, doctors rely on several things -- one important one is diagnostic testing for asthma. The results of certain asthma tests, along with family medical history and physical examination, will help a doctor make an accurate asthma diagnosis. What asthma tests might your doctor order? Find out here.
Ragweed Allergy-Asthma Trigger
Ragweed allergy, one of most common seasonal allergies triggers, occurs in the fall and also can aggravate asthma symptoms.
What Is Personal Best PEF
Here are the answers to your questions about your personal best peak flow rate and how to use peak flow meters and get peak flow readings.
Red Tide and Asthma
Red tide algae bloms and asthma are an unhealthy combination. When red tide blooms produce toxins, people who have asthma may notice an increase in symtpoms. The best way to prevent asthma is to stay away from the beach during red tide blooms.
Symptoms of Asthma in Infants
Knowing the symptoms of asthma in infants can help you get help for your baby sooner. Infant asthma symptoms are sometimes more subtle than those in older children or adults. Baby asthma symptoms might seem more like a cold.
Pulmicort - Budesonide
Pulmicort is an asthma medication in the inhaled steroids category. It comes in two forms - pulmicort respules, used in nebulizers for infants and toddlers, and pulmicort flexhaler, used for older children and adults. Pulmicort ia a controller medication and cannot be used to treat acute asthma attacks.
Bronchioles
Bronchioles are small branches of the airways in your lungs. They branch off from the bronchial tubes and then the bronchioles branch into smaller sacs called alveoli.
Insect Allergens & Triggers
Insect allergens are an indoor asthma trigger. Cockroaches are the most common type of insect allergen, but stinging insects such as bees and fire ants can also trigger asthma symptoms in some cases.
Quick-Relief Asthma Medicines
Quick-relief asthma medicines fall into 3 different categories, including anticholinergics, inhaled short-acting beta agonists, and systemic corticosteroids. Each quick-relief medicine is designed to provide prompt relief of bronchoconstriction and resulting acute symptoms such as cough, chest tightness, and wheezing, whether supplied in a rescue inhaler or other form.
Allergy Symptoms & Asthma
Nasal allergy symptoms can make asthma symptoms feel even worse. Common allergy symptoms include nasal stuffiness, runny nose, and sneezing.
Extreme Weather & Asthma
Extreme weather can be an asthma trigger in people who are sensitive to very hot or very cold climate conditions. Climate change has also had an impact on asthma incidence and severity.
Asthma Allergens & Triggers
Asthma allergens are also known as one kind of asthma triggers. Allergens can set off asthma symptoms in people who have the type of asthma called allergic asthma.
Combination Asthma Inhalers
Combination asthma inhalers are controller medicines that combine an inhaled steroid with a long-acting beta agonist in the same device. Combination inhalers are thought to be a more effective asthma treatment approach than taking each medication separately.
Nasal Allergies/Rhinitis
Nasal allergy is the laymen's term for the medical condition known as allergic rhinitis. Nasal allergies can be seasonal (hayfever) or year-round, and they are closely related to allergic asthma.
Asthma Risk Factors
This listing and description of top asthma risk factors may help you decide if you or your child are at risk for developing asthma at some point in the future. Knowing your asthma risk factors can help you prevent asthma in some cases.
Airway Remodeling
Airway remodeling in asthma is a process in response to long-term, unresolved airway inflammation that results in permanent structural changes in the airways. Airway remodeling is the strongest argument for asthma control.
Genetic Causes for Asthma
Due to certain asthma genetic factors, experts know that some people are born with a tendency to develop asthma. This tendency appears to be closely related to a history of allergies. Asthma also tends to run in families.
Asthma - Articles
An index of Articles for the Asthma guide site.
Nebulizer
A nebulizer is an electronic device that transforms asthma medicine into a very fine mist that will penetrate deeply into your lungs.
Get Rid of Dust Mites
Learn how to get rid of dust mites. Eliminating dust mites, if you are allergic to them, can be one of the best ways to control asthma and allergies.
Indoor Asthma Triggers
There are many triggers for asthma and the most common are some of the same triggers that can cause allergies. These triggers can be found both indoors and outdoors. Read about some of the top indoor asthma triggers and how to avoid them.
Mold: Asthma Trigger
Mold is both an indoor asthma trigger and an outdoor asthma trigger. Mold is also an allergen for people who have allergic asthma and can trigger asthma symptoms.
Immunomodulators
Immunomodulators are a new class of asthma medications that are used as an add-on therapy in people who have severe persistent asthma with allergies that has not responded adequately to inhaled steroids. Immunomodulators are a type of antibody called monoclonal.
What Is a Peak Flow Meter
Here are the answers to your frequently asked questions about peak flow meters and how to use peak flow meters and get peak flow readings. For example, what is a peak flow meter?
How to Avoid Pollen
These tips on how to avoid pollen should reduce asthma symptoms. Avoiding pollen is important if pollen is one of your asthma triggers. Taking steps to avoid pollen can help keep your asthma under control and prevent asthma symptoms.
Xopenex - Levalbuterol
Xopenex, generic name levalbuterol, is a fast-acting quick-relief inhaler that is used to relieve acute asthma symptoms. Similar to Albuterol, this medication relaxes tight airways, relieving wheezing and shortness of breath.
Tips for Talking With Doctors
One of the best ways to manage asthma is to take an active role. You are a valuable member of your asthma care team. Get some tips for talking with your doctor about your asthma symptoms and management.
Oral Allergy Syndrome & Asthma
Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) can complicate your asthma and allergy symptoms during ragweed season. Find out how to prevent asthma attacks.
Asthma & Pregnancy
Asthma in pregnancy might seem scary, but a pregnant woman with asthma should be able to keep her asthma under control and have a healthy child.
What Is Peak Expiratory Flow
Got asthma? Here are the answers to your questions about what a peak flow meter measures. Get the scoop on PEF rates and peak flow readings.
Wheezing
Wheezing is an asthma symptom that results from narrowing of the airways. A wheeze sounds like a whistle as you breathe in or out through your mouth or nose.
Talk to Kids About Asthma
As a parent, part of your role with your child with asthma is to help him or learn about asthma and how to take control of it. You can help your child understand about asthma and serve as a trusted coach and support person by talking to your child about asthma.
Inflammation
In the lungs, inflammation can swell the airways, tighten the airway muscles, and increase the amount of mucus that the airways produce. In other words: asthma.
How to Avoid Mold
These tips on how to avoid mold should reduce asthma symptoms. Avoiding mold spores, both the indoor mold and outdoor mold spores, is important if mold is one of your asthma triggers. When you avoid mold, you get better asthma control.
Trigger
An asthma trigger is a substance or event that sets off asthma symptoms.
Tracking Medicine in MDI
Metered dose inhalers don’t have a built-in way to track the remaining medicine left in the canister. That can lead to using the MDI when it no longer contains enough medicine to be helpful.
Peak Flow and My Action Plan
Here are the answers to your questions about how a peak flow meter relates to your asthma action plan. Your peak flow tells you what zone you are in, so that you know what actions you need to take to manage your asthma.
Bronchoconstriction
Bronchoconstriction is a medical term that means a tightening of the airways. It occurs with asthma in response to exposure to an asthma trigger.
What Is a Breath Activated MDI
A breath-activated metered dose inhaler is an alternate kind of MDI that can be used by people who have a hard time mastering the technique of an MDI.
How to Use an MDI With a Mask
It is important to know how to use an MDI with a mask correctly, if your child is to get the right amount of asthma medicine from his or her metered dose inhaler.
Prevent Asthma Symptoms
You can prevent asthma symptoms from getting worse during summer vacations by taking a few preparatory steps. Do not let asthma get in the way of your summer fun!
Anaphylaxis at School
Anaphylaxis at school is every parent's worst nightmare, to have your child suffering from a life-threatening ailment when you're not around to help. Because parents can't always be with their kids, it's a good idea to prepare your child for anaphylaxis at school, or at least for the possibility.
Kids With Asthma Play Sports
Exercise & asthma question - Kids with asthma can play sports, as long as they take their asthma controller medicines, make wise choices and avoid asthma triggers. Exercise-induced asthma CAN be managed.
What Is Asthma
Wondering what is asthma exactly? If you have been having breathing problems or have recently gotten a diagnosis of asthma, you may be wondering how to find reliable asthma info. You can get asthma facts here.
Eosinophils
Eosinophils are a type of white blood cells that tend to accumulate during allergic reactions.
Allergy Drops - Immunotherapy
Allergy drops, which is the nonmedical term for sublingual immunotherapy, are a form of allergen immunotherapy for asthma that can be used as a form of allergic asthma treatment for some people.
Chemical Triggers & Irritants
Chemical asthma triggers occur when someone with already inflamed airways from asthma is exposed to a chemical irritant that further irritates the airways.
Outdoor Asthma Triggers
Outdoor asthma triggers consist of airborne allergens that can trigger asthma symptoms in sensitive people upon exposure. Outdoor asthma triggers include pollen and mold, as well as climate changes.
Asthma Environmental Factors
In answer to the question about asthma environmental factors, your environment does seem to have some impact on whether you will develop asthma. This is because repeated exposure to certain substances that act as triggers over time can raise the sensitivity of your airways and result in asthma symptoms.
Essential MDI Tips
Here are a few additional tips on how to use your MDI and get the most from it. Metered dose inhalers are highly effective asthma medicines -- as long as you know how to use them correctly.
Intercostal Retractions
Intercostal retractions are what happens when the muscles between your ribs are pulled in sharply when you are having trouble breathing.
Allergen
Allergen is something that triggers an allergic response that can affect the skin, nose, eyes, and airways.
How Do I Use an MDI
Metered dose inhalers are not always easy to use. The correct technique is essential to keep your asthma under control.
Asthma Trigger
Dust mites and asthma is not a good combination. Dust is a potent asthma trigger in sensitive people. Find out more about dust and how to avoid having it set off your asthma symptoms.
Nebulizer Treatments
A pediatric nebulizer, also called a breathing machine, is used to give asthma medications in nebulizer treatments to infants and small children who are unable to correctly use an asthma inhaler.
Alveoli
Alveoli are the tiny sacs at the farthest end of your smallest airways.
Asthma Friendly Schools
Asthma friendly schools are more common today as school staff members realize how important it is to be aware of asthmatic children. But, as a parent, it is important to ask the right questions to decide how asthma friendly your school is.
Right to Carry Medications
Did you know your kids probably have the right to carry medications such as their asthma inhalers and epinephrine autoinjectors in school and use them on their own as needed? That is, if you live in Washington D.C. or one of the 40 U.S. states that have right to carry laws for kids with asthma and / or allergies.
Metered Dose Inhaler
A metered dose inhaler is the most common medical device used for asthma. It is also referred to as an "inhaler" or "puffer."
Short Acting Beta Agonists
Short-acting beta agonists, or SABAs for short, are bronchodilators used in quick-relief inhalers to treat acute asthma symptoms and asthma attacks. Short-acting beta agonists should not be used for regular daily asthma care.
Asthma - Profiles
An index of Profiles for the Asthma guide site.
Asthma Irritants
Asthma irritants are substances that are airborne and act as an asthma trigger. However, they differ from allergens in that they do not generate an immune response. Instead, they just further irritate already inflamed airways.
Bronchodilator
A bronchodilator is a type of asthma medicine that relaxes the muscles inside the lungs' airways.
Quick Relief Medicine
Quick relief medicine is asthma medicine that acts quickly, but only for a short-time, to relieve asthma symptoms that have already started.
Bronchiolitis
Bronchiolitis is similar to bronchitis, but is an inflammation of the small airways, the bronchioles, rather than the larger bronchial tubes. It usually affects children under the age of 2, with a peak age of 3 - 6 months.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
Sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT for short, is the medical term for what are commonly known as allergy drops. This is an alternative allergic asthma treatment that can offer greater convenience than allergy shots.
Spirometry
A spirometer is device that measures the total amount of air you can exhale after taking a deep breath in.
What Is a Metered Dose Inhaler
A metered dose inhaler, or MDI for short, is a device that dispenses a specific amount of asthma medicine into the mouth where it can be inhaled into the throat.
What Causes Asthma?
Do you have questions about what causes asthma? Get the answers to questions about gender, allergies, ethnic prevalence, asthma genetic factors and more.
Respire Case Product Review
The Respire case is really quite attractive, and has held up well in my purse, pockets, backpack and bike saddlebag over the past several weeks.
Allergic Conjunctivitis
Allergic conjunctivitis is the medical term for eye allergies. This document provides a definition of allergic conjunctivitis, a common related condition to allergic asthma.
Caring for MDIs
It is important to care for a metered dose inhaler properly so that the openings do not become dirty and clogged.
Leukotriene Modifiers
Leukotriene modifiers are asthma medications that are sometimes used in combination with or instead of inhaled steroids in people whose asthma is moderate to severe. They are sometimes called leukotriene antagonists.
When Do I Use Peak Flow Meter
For people with asthma, a peak flow meter should be used on a regular basis. Overall, your schedule should be based on your condition and treatment goals.
Tobacco Smoke - Irritant
Tobacco smoke is a powerful asthma trigger, whether you are the one doing the smoking or if you are just breathing in secondhand smoke from someone else's cigarette, cigar or pipe.
Airborne Asthma Triggers
Airborne asthma triggers are inhaled particles of dust, powders and so on that further irritate already inflamed asthma airways. They are sometimes known as irritants.
Gender Factors with Asthma
The answer to this question about asthma risk factors is not entirely clear. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, asthma is more common in male children than it is in female children. However, in adults, asthma tends to be more common in women than in men. Experts don't have all the answers yet on what causes asthma.
Dry Powder Inhaler (DPI)
A dry powder inhaler, or DPI for short, is a type of inhaler device for administering asthma medicine.
Histamine
Histamine is an immune system mediator, or chemical messenger. Histamine is a vehicle of communication between different parts of the immune system.
Bronchial Tubes
Bronchial tubes are the large airways that connect your pharynx (breathing tube) to your lungs.
Irritants
Irritants are substances that trigger asthma symptoms in sensitive people.
Pet Dander
Pet dander is created from dead skin cells that are shed by animals. Proteins in the dander can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms.
Allergist - Asthma Specialist
An allergist is a doctor who specializes in the care of people with allergies and allergic asthma.
Mast Cells
Mast cells are specialized cells involved in airway inflammation in people with asthma. Mast cells bind to IgE and stimulate the inflammatory response or allergic response.

Explore Asthma

More from About.com

  1. Home
  2. Health
  3. Asthma

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.