Not everyone affected by asthma, however, is as fortunate. There are many people who display symptoms of asthma, such as breathlessness, wheezing and coughing, and a feeling of tightness in the chest, and yet their condition remains undiagnosed because they have not sought medical help. Others who have been diagnosed simply accept an inhaler from their GP and never explore any other possible ways of managing their condition, which can often lead to more severe symptoms and even, in more serious cases, to an asthma attack.
If you have been diagnosed with asthma, you should keep in regular touch with your GP to formulate an asthma management plan. You should take note of occasions when the obvious symptoms become more evident and keep your GP informed of any incidents that might need a rethink of your treatment. You may be prescribed medication to control the asthma, usually in the form of an inhaler. The inhaler contains medication specific to your form of asthma, to be administered when necessary and you will use one of three forms: preventer, reliever or combination. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may also need to take steroid tablets.
The medication is an important facet of managing asthma but you can also take steps to reduce the symptoms and eliminate the possibility of an asthma attack. Keep a diary and start to recognise the triggers that bring on the symptoms – the most common ones are inhaling tobacco smoke or being in a smoky or polluted atmosphere; taking part in exercise, having a cold or chest infection; cold weather; and suffering allergic reactions to the likes of, for example, animal fur and house dust mites. If you’re unsure about allergies, your doctor can arrange a skin or blood test.
Ask your doctor for a peak flow meter, which is used to measure the amount of air you can exhale, and blow into it several times throughout the day. The results will demonstrate if there is a particular issue that you can address with the help of your doctor.
The key to good asthma management is understanding the condition and understanding your own behaviour and reactions. The plan you devise with your doctor should be a flexible one that takes the different seasons into account – you may suffer more during the hay fever season and during winter – and assesses regularly how frequently you use your medication.