Asthma is a common lung condition that affects your ability to breathe. It often starts in childhood but it can start at any age.
Treatment and self-management can help control the symptoms of asthma so it does not have a big impact on your life.
Asthma can be serious, especially if it is not well controlled. People with asthma have a risk of severe asthma attacks.
Symptoms of asthma
Asthma symptoms can happen some of the time or most of the time. Symptoms can change over time.
The most common symptoms are:
- wheezing - a whistling sound when you breathe
- shortness of breath
- a tight chest - it may feel like a band is tightening around it
- coughing
The cause is more likely to be asthma if the symptoms:
- happen often and keep coming back
- are worse at night and early in the morning
- happen in response to an asthma trigger such as exercise or an allergy
- change with the seasons - for example, they are worse in the summer or winter
See a GP if you think you or your child may have asthma.
Causes of asthma
We are still learning about the causes of asthma.
But you may be at more risk of asthma if you:
- have a parent or sibling with asthma
- have other allergic conditions, such as eczema
- had a severe respiratory infection as a child
- are exposed to dust or certain chemicals at your work
- have overweight or obesity
- are exposed to air pollution
Types of asthma
There are different ways to manage asthma depending on the type of asthma you have.
Some types of asthma include:
Allergic asthma
Allergic asthma is when allergens such as pollen, pets or dust mites trigger your asthma.
Work-related asthma
Work-related asthma is when exposure to irritants at work:
- makes your existing asthma worse (work-aggravated asthma)
- causes your asthma (occupational asthma) - your symptoms may disappear if you avoid the irritants
Irritants can include dust or certain chemicals.
You may be at higher risk of exposure to irritants, if you are a:
- paint sprayer
- plasterer
- baker or pastry maker
- nurse
- chemical worker
- animal handler
- timber worker
- welder
- food processing worker
Contact your GP if you have not had asthma before and:
- you get asthma symptoms at work
- your symptoms improve when you are not at work
Exercise-induced asthma
Some people who are not diagnosed with asthma may get asthma-like symptoms after exercise. This is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB).
Contact your GP if you have asthma symptoms when you exercise.
Exercise should not trigger your asthma when your asthma is under control.
Childhood asthma
Some children with asthma can have fewer or no asthma symptoms as they get older. This is known as childhood asthma.
But asthma can come back when they are adults.
Non-allergic asthma
Non-allergic asthma is when your asthma is not related to an allergy. This type of asthma is more common in adults.
Severe asthma
Severe asthma is when:
- your symptoms are harder to control
- usual asthma treatments do not work as well
If you have severe asthma, it may take longer to find the combination of treatment that works for you. You may need specialist treatments.
Diagnosing asthma
Your GP can often diagnose asthma from your symptoms and some tests.
Asthma treatments
Asthma is usually treated by using an inhaler. This is a small device that you can use to breathe in asthma medicines.
Self-management is also an important part of living well with asthma. For example, avoiding asthma triggers.
How asthma affects your lungs
Asthma affects the airways in your lungs.
If your asthma is triggered:
- your airways become swollen (inflamed)
- the muscles around your airways tighten and narrow your airways
- your airways make more mucus that can build up in your lungs
This causes coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
Airway remodelling
Airway remodelling is when the structure of the airways in your lungs changes. It can happen if asthma symptoms are not treated or controlled.
Over time, the walls of the airways become thicker and the airways become narrower. This makes it harder for asthma medicines to work.
Managing your asthma well can prevent airway remodelling.
