Asthma Management: Strategies for Better Respiratory Health

Coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath. If you or someone you love lives with asthma, these symptoms are all too familiar. Asthma can be scary — but it doesn't have to be.

Whether the diagnosis is new or you've lived with it for years, if you want to know more about asthma management, we've got you covered.

Understanding Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by inflammation (or swelling) and narrowing of the airways. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7.7% of the US population had asthma in 2021 — and it was slightly more common among adults than children, including 8% of adults and 6.5% of children.

About 80% of children's cases were diagnosed by age six. For middle-aged adults with asthma, about half were diagnosed in adulthood. While the diagnosis tends to include the same symptoms at any age, children are more likely to experience periods of remission or to outgrow it.

Asthma Triggers

Asthma attacks happen when the body signals the immune system to react to an event or environmental factor known as a trigger. Common triggers include:

• Cold, flu or other illnesses involving the nose, mouth and throat

• Exposure to cold, dry air, tobacco smoke, pollutants or other airborne chemicals

• Exercise

• Allergens like pollen, pets, mold, cockroaches or dust mites

• Pain relievers like aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease

• Depression or anxiety

Research shows that some factors are more likely to cause trouble than others, depending on your age.

An upper respiratory infection is more likely to cause symptoms in infants, while viral infections are more likely to trigger children up to age six. Children ages seven to 11 are more likely to experience severe asthma attacks with exposure to environmental triggers like cold weather, cigarette smoke or seasonal allergies. Between ages 12-18, allergen exposure is a common trigger.

In one study of adults with asthma, the most common triggers were air pollutants and weather changes. Further, the more severe group was found to be "more frequently affected by medications, emotional stress, weather changes and indoor pollutants than other severity groups."

Tailoring Asthma Management

Your asthma treatment plan will generally include two types of medication: a long-acting medication to prevent airway inflammation on an everyday basis and a quick-relief medication to take during an attack. Allergy medicines may be prescribed for people with allergic asthma.

No matter what your age, your doctor will design a treatment strategy that takes your symptoms, health status and lifestyle into account.

Exercise-Induced Asthma

If you start to experience asthma symptoms within the first 20 minutes of exercise, you may have exercise-induced asthma, or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Normally, air is warmed and humidified as it passes through your nose, but when you breathe harder, you breathe in through your mouth, too. This brings cold, dry air straight into your lungs, which can set off an asthma attack.

If you have EIB, talk to your doctor about taking medication regularly, before you exercise or both. Other symptom management strategies include avoiding exercising in cold weather and avoiding sports that require prolonged periods of high intensity, such as distance running and soccer.

Allergy-Induced Asthma

Allergic asthma is a form of asthma that causes your body to launch an allergic reaction when you inhale an allergen. While all allergic reactions feature inflammation, an allergic asthma attack causes your airways to swell. Common allergic asthma triggers include dander, pollen, mold, dust mites and cockroaches.

No matter your age, to treat allergy-induced asthma, the first step is identifying your allergens.

Your doctor can test you for a wide variety of allergens, but you can also keep track of your symptoms, where you were and what you were doing when they arose.

Strategies for Effective Asthma Management

Successfully managing asthma depends on open communication with your healthcare provider, including regular check-ups and getting in touch when you have questions or a flare-up. Once you and your doctor make a plan, it's important to take your medications as directed — and if they're not working for you, or you're experiencing side effects, don't wait to call your provider.

Overall, the key is to avoid your triggers as much as possible, wear a mask when exposure is unavoidable and take allergy medication as directed. Then, consider lifestyle choices that can also play a role in asthma management. Steps you can take to manage your symptoms include:

• Regularly managing stress

• Staying active

• Avoiding smoking

Finding Ways To Breathe Easy

So, when you're wondering how to control asthma, remember these key recommendations. An asthma diagnosis can be overwhelming at first, but successfully managing your symptoms can be simple when you prioritize the basics. Knowing your triggers, collaborating with your healthcare provider, adhering to your treatment plan and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are the keys to helping you breathe easier.

Clinically reviewed on January 31, 2024

Sources:

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most Recent National Asthma Data. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm
• Trivedi M, Denton E. Asthma in Children and Adults—What Are the Differences and What Can They Tell us About Asthma? Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2019; 7: 256. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6603154/
• Mayo Clinic. Asthma Attack Symptoms and Causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20354268
• Goksel O, Celik G, Erkekol FO, Gullu E, Dilsad M, Misirligil, Z. Triggers in Adult Asthma: Are Patients Aware of Triggers and Doing it Right? Allergologia et Immunopathologia. 2009; 37(3): 122-128. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301054609717239
• WebMD. Childhood asthma. https://www.webmd.com/asthma/children-asthma
• American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. Asthma and Exercise. https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/asthma/asthma-and-exercise
• American Lung Association. Asthma Self-Management Skills: Why Do I Need to Learn Them? https://www.lung.org/blog/asthma-self-management-skills
• Childhood Asthma. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-asthma/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351513