Asthma symptoms include a cough, wheezing, chest tightness and breathlessness.
Asthma is a long-term respiratory condition caused by hypersensitivity (over-reacting to things) and inflammation (swelling and redness) of the airways.
When asthma symptoms get significantly worse, it is known as an 'asthma attack'.
Call triple zero (000) to seek immediate help if you or someone else has severe symptoms of asthma.
Visit Asthma Australia website or the National Asthma Council website for more information on asthma, or call Asthma Assist on 1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462).
Are you caring for someone with asthma?
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Find practical information and useful resources for carers on Carer Gateway. You can also learn more about carers' support and services in your state or territory through Carers Australia.
Asthma is triggered by a variety of things. Some people will have a lot of triggers, while others may only react to one or two items.
Asthma triggers are substances, conditions or activities that lead to symptoms of asthma.
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What is asthma? Asthma is a condition which occurs when the airways become inflamed and narrow, making it hard to breathe. It can cause episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing, particularly in the early morning and evening.
Find out more about the signs and symptoms of asthma, aids and tips to help you care for your child and what to do if your child has an asthma attack.
Asthma is a lung disease, that comprises underlying inflammation and tightening of the small tubes in the airways (called airway obstruction), which occurs in response to asthma triggers such as animal danders or pollen (also called bronchial hyperresponsiveness). The high prevalence of asthma worldwide is a major public health problem because of the high healthcare costs associated with hospitalisation and medication. Breathing exercises are a non-pharmacological intervention that has been used routinely in the treatment of patients with asthma.Breathing exercises aim to control the hyperventilation symptoms of asthma and can be performed as the Papworth Method, the Buteyko breathing technique, yoga or any other similar intervention that manipulates the breathing pattern.
Asthma is a condition that affects the airways the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs - and the symptoms are generally coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. The symptoms can be occasional or persistent. When a person with asthma breathes in an asthma trigger (something that irritates their airways), the muscles around the walls of the airways tighten so that the airways become narrower and the lining of the airways becomes inflamed and starts to swell. For many people with asthma, cold and flu viruses trigger their symptoms. Therefore, getting a flu virus makes their asthma worse and having a flu jab (influenza vaccine) may protect people against some of the flu viruses that they will come into contact with in a given winter. However, the effects of a flu jab (vaccination) are not straightforward as there is also the possibility that the flu jab itself could cause a worsening of asthma. Current guidelines in the UK recommend that high-risk groups such as people with severe asthma should have a flu jab each winter (NHS Choices); however, there is limited evidence for this approach.
Asthma is a common condition that affects the airways, the small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. People can have underlying inflammation in their lungs and sticky mucus or phlegm may build up, which can narrow the airways. When a person with asthma comes into contact with an irritant (an asthma trigger), the muscles around the walls of the airways tighten, the airways become narrower, and the lining of the airways becomes inflamed and starts to swell. This leads to the symptoms of asthma, which are wheezing, coughing and difficulty in breathing. There is no cure for asthma; however, there are medications that allow most people to control their asthma so they can get on with daily life. People with asthma are generally advised to take inhaled corticosteroids to combat the underlying inflammation in their lungs. If asthma is still not controlled, current clinical guidelines recommend the introduction of an additional medication to help. One type of additional medication is the long-acting beta2-agonists, such as formoterol and salmeterol, which work by reversing the narrowing of the airways that occurs during an asthma attack. These drugs, taken by inhaler, are known to improve lung function, symptoms, quality of life and to reduce the number of asthma attacks. However, the evidence for the usefulness of long-acting beta2-agonists is more limited in children than adults, and there are concerns about the safety of these drugs in both adults and children. We did this overview to take a closer look at the safety of formoterol or salmeterol, either alone or given in combination with corticosteroid therapy, in children with asthma.
People with asthma also often have gastro-oesophageal reflux (where acid from the stomach comes back up the gullet (esophagus)). Reflux is very common in people with asthma. It may be a trigger for asthma, or alternatively, asthma may trigger reflux. Treatments that can help reflux include antacids and drugs to suppress stomach acids or empty the stomach. This review of trials found that using reflux treatments does not generally help ease asthma symptoms. While asthma may be improved in some people, it was not possible to predict who might benefit.
We assessed the evidence on the use of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for people with asthma compared with placebo or with normal treatment for asthma. We focused on whether SLIT is a good treatment for asthma and whether it is safe.
It has been suggested for nearly twenty years that nasal sprays containing corticosteroids might improve asthma outcomes in people suffering from both asthma and rhinitis. Intranasal corticosteroids had few side effects in people with mild asthma, but the improvements in symptoms scores and lung function could have arisen by chance. Intranasal corticosteroids may be a promising alternative treatment for patients with rhinitis and mild asthma. More research is needed before considering changing the current practice of prescribing corticosteroids delivered by oral inhalers for asthma, and by nasal sprays for rhinitis.