Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing difficult. With asthma, there is inflammation of the air passages that results in a
temporary narrowing of the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs. The major giveaway of asthma is wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and pressure on the chest cavity. Asthma is an incurable illness. However, with good treatment and
management there is no reason why a person with asthma cannot live a
normal and active life.
Asthma medicines come in two types—quick-relief and long-term control.
Quick-relief medicines control the symptoms of an asthma attack. Long-term control medicines
help you have fewer and milder attacks, but they don’t help you while
you are having an asthma attack. As an asthma sufferer myself, one who does not necessarily follow the precautions quite honestly, having asthma is a serious thing but not impossible to live with. I began with bronchitis in the fall of 2010, and because I didn't take care of myself properly, it turned into pneumonia. Having pneumonia for a couple of weeks was pretty terrible and I had to miss my entire marching season because of it. Just when I thought I had gotten better, I kept on wheezing and then became short of breath really quickly. When we went to the doctor's, they told us my pneumonia affected my lungs and the outcome became a minor asthma.
So whenever I feel short of breath, I tend to use my inhaler. What I still do not understand is how that is possible and why, in about two years, my asthma inhaler hasn't been used. I feel short of breath sometimes, but not to the point where I need my inhaler anymore. Either way, asthma can be dangerous but not impossible to live with. Sources:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma/
http://www.webmd.com/asthma/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/asthma/
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