What is Asthma?
Asthma is a condition that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing.

Causes

Asthma is actually caused by inflammation in the airways.  When an individual experiences an attack, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of the air passages swells, which reduces the amount of air that can pass through the passage.

Symptoms
Symptoms can be triggered by breathing in allergy-causing substances (called allergens), such as:

• Animal pet hair or dander
• Dust
• Changes in weather (particularly cold weather)
• Chemicals in the air or in food
• Exercise
• Mold
• Pollen
• Respiratory infections, such common colds or flu
• Strong emotions
• Tobacco smoke

Attacks can last for minutes to days, and can become dangerous if the airflow is severly restricted.  Common symptoms include:

• Cough with or without phlegm production
• Pulling of the skin between the ribs when breathing
• Shortness of breath that gets worse with exercise or activity
• Wheezing
• Blueish color to the lips and face
• Extreme difficulty breathing

CAHN CARES
The goal of treatment is to avoid the substances that trigger any of your symptoms and control airway inflammation.  At CAHN our physicians will work with you to develop and carry out a plan for eliminating the triggers and closely monitoring any stymptoms.  If you and/or any of your family members are experiencing any of these conditions, contact us today so that we can help you identify the best methods for managing this condition.

At CAHN, we are continually developing programs and services to create healthy communities.  Let us help you stay healthy!