Asthma explained

Sometimes it can be so difficult talking about asthma. Are you ready for some simple, plain-english explanations of asthma?

The symptoms of asthma, wheezing or shortness of breath, can be exhausting and frightening.

If you suffer from asthma there are times when you experience great difficulty breathing out, not breathing in - and this can cause great distress.

In more medical terms, asthma is a temporary, reversible obstruction of the airways...
This obstruction is due to inflammation, muscle contraction and production of mucous in the bronchioles, the tubes that lead to our lungs.

An asthma attack can be triggered by many things.

Sometimes allergy is a key. You might be allergic to:

• Dust mites: These tiny creatures are invisible to the human eye. They live in our homes feeding off our dead skin. While the thought of them may make your skin crawl, the mites themselves, are essentially harmless. It it the skin that they shed and the faeces they leave which trigger most allergic reactions.
  
  Did you know the average bed can contain around 10,000 dust mites??!!
  
  Within 2 months of buying a new pillow up to a quarter of it's weight can be made up of dust mites and ther droppings.
  
  If you are allergic to dust mites it is essential that you take steps to protect yourself!
  
  
• Pet hair: If you have pets you have pet hair in your home.
  
  Surprisingly, it is often pet dander (skin flakes), saliva or urine that triggers the most important allergic reactions. It can be any one or a combination of these that trigger an asthma attack.
  
  You need to protect yourself by limiting your exposure to pets. If they live in your home (and yes, even people with asthma have and love their pets!), keep them out of your bedroom. Keep your home spotlessly clean and regularly use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.
  
  
• Pollen: Allergies to pollen normally present with the symptoms of hay fever - sneezing, coughing, runny nose and streaming red eyes.
  
  All plants produce pollen at some time and you might be more allergic to some pollens than to others.
  
  To avoid exposure to pollen you can stay indoors at times when pollen counts are highest - warm, sunny and breezy summer mornings can be particularly bad.
  
  Reduce the amount of pollen you are exposed to in your home by tumble drying your clothes rather than hanging them on a washing line in the yard, changing your clothes or washing your hair when you come home.

Asthma is not always triggered by allergy.

On other occasions asthma can be triggered by exercise or going from a warm room into the cold air outside.

While it is vital not to over do exercise it is important to keep fit and some exercise can actually help.
You might want to try finding out more about exercises:

"Would you like to have your life back?"

The e-book "Asthma Explained" contains information on the causes, triggers and management of asthma.
For simply signing up to our newsletter you can have a plain english explanation of this widespread and potentially debilitating condition.

What will you learn from this book?

Asthma Explained has been researched and written by a nurse, edited by a doctor and real people living with asthma have shaped the contents to make sure they are relevant to you. Inside you will find:

• So what is asthma
• Occurrence of asthma
• Prevalence of asthma
• Asthma has three characteristics
• Asthma attacks
• Causes of asthma
• Non-specific factors
• Asthma symptoms and signs
• Emergency symptoms of asthma
• Asthma diagnosis and tests
• Asthma treatment
• Medication for asthma management
• Medications: inhalation devices
• Management of asthma
• Asthma prevention

Get "Asthma Explained" now".
It is worth at least $47 but we're happy to let our friends have a copy for their own personal use - for free!

Asthma can strike at any age.

It is particularly distressing if your child has asthma... you have to watch them while they play in case they get too excited and trigger an attack.
It is so reassuring to know that there are many possible ways to make things better - and they don't all involve drugs!


Asthma can also sneak up on you as an adult and it's no less worrying to discover that your 73 year old mother has just developed asthma!

Management with or without medication can significantly improve your quality of life!

"Take your life back now!"

Reduce your exposure to dust mites or other allergens which might trigger your asthma by

• covering your mattress and pillows with protective covers
• using a dehumidifier and ventilating your house
• cleaning regularly with a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter

Worth a look at????

I've also come across many vaery helpful websites. You can find many just by typing "Asthma" into a search engine such as Google.

The following websites may offer some relief:
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• Asthma Free In 5 Days


• Asthma Relief Tips


• Cure Your Asthma & Allergies Right Now


• Cure Your Asthma In Just One Week





"If you have an asthma attack..."

This is the advice from Asthma UK website:

1. If you have a reliever (blue inhaler), use it now!
2. Sit up straight. Try to relax. Loosen any tight clothing, collars, ties etc
3. If things don't improve quickly, continue taking one puff from your inhaler, once a minute for 5 minutes...
4. If symptoms still don't improve call your doctor or the emergency medical service.




Talking about Asthma

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