Asthma Summary Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive, and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air. Symptoms of asthma include Wheezing Coughing, especially early in the morning or at night Chest tightness Shortness of breath Not all people who have asthma have these symptoms. Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean that you have asthma. Your doctor will diagnose asthma based on lung function tests, your medical history, and a physical exam. You may also have allergy tests. When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it’s called an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care, and they can be fatal. Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms. NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Treatments and Therapies 4 Tips: Asthma and Complementary Health Practices National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Asthma Treatment: Do Complementary and Alternative Approaches Work? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Controlling Your Symptoms of Asthma Array How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled? 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Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Asthma: Questions to Ask When It Doesn’t Get Better American Academy of Family Physicians How to Use a Metered Dose Inhaler American Academy of Family Physicians Measuring Your Peak Flow Rate American Lung Association So You Have Asthma National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Women Asthma and Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists Asthma, Allergies and Pregnancy American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Specifics Asthma Attack Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Exercise and Asthma American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Exercise-Induced Asthma Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm American Academy of Family Physicians Nocturnal Asthma National Jewish Health Occupational Asthma American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Statistics and Research Asthma in Adults Fact Sheet American Lung Association Asthma Patients in US Overuse Quick-Relief Inhalers, Underuse Control Medications American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology CDC Vital Signs: Asthma in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Do Newborns Have More Complications When Mom Has Asthma? 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