Breathe easier knowing more about asthma

Do you experience heavy coughing that keeps you from sleeping? Waking up congested and tired? Suffering from wheezing? Find it hard to catch your breath?

Many people would think that they’re experiencing a cold or allergies, but you could actually be the start of an asthma attack. If you don’t deal with the symptoms early, then the symptoms could actually get worse, escalating to a serious attack.

When an asthma attack occurs the lining in the airways swell more than usual and the surrounding muscles tighten, causing uncontrollable coughing and wheezing. Your body reacts by breathing rapidly that you’re unable to speak, with your fingers and lips turning blue. You’ll also experience your face getting pale and sweaty, if you don’t act quickly you might cause permanent damage to the lungs.

This may sound scary but there is something that can help to prevent this from happening. Along with your doctor, you can develop an asthma action plan.

You can discuss with your allergist or pulmonologist doctor the triggers and symptoms you experience associated with your asthma problems. You can keep the plan close to you in case of an emergency situation and these doctors will help you find the right combination of treatment that best suits you so you can be in control of your condition.

For more on how to best plan around your asthma condition, check out the video above.