Justines Asthma pages

Asthma is a common condition (disease) that affects the airways. The symptoms are wheeze, cough, a tight chest and shortness of breath. Symptoms range from mild to severe. Asthma at present cannot be cured, but treatments available usually work well to ease or prevent symptoms. Asthma affects the (bronchi) of the lungs. Sometimes the airways become narrow in people with asthma. This causes wheezing, cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Each episode can vary greatly, from minites to days. Asthma can start at any age of life, but it is more common in childhood. One in every ten children have asthma, and one in every twenty adults. Sometimes it runs in families. sometimes not. The wheezing, cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath can be mild to severe, and from days to weeks. A cold, allergy, chest infection etc might trigger an attack. In an attack asthmatics become very wheezing (sometimes not) and have severe breathing difficulty. They might not be able to speak because they are so breathless. Occasionally, severe symptoms can just develope out of the blue. Asthma is caused by imflamation of the airways, which irrates the muscles around them. The imflamationalso causes extra mucus which causes a cough and further airflow obstuction. Treatment plans and medication are set out by a doctor. Finally there is no cure for asthma. Some children grow out of it. In adults there sre good days and bad days. Some asthmatics are worse in winter, some in spring and some all the time. Asthma is a very individual condition. Asthma is very complicated and frustrating also.

Was surfing today and read that they think severe asthma may be a different disease that asthma. Well maybe. My good friend Pamela died of cervical cancer at only 25yrs old and I heard on television yesterday that they have now got a vaccination by injection to stop women getting it. Only 10yrs too late for her but I am sure lots of other women will now be saved from it, so this is great news. Well I have been trying those breathing exercises I have read about on the web. They seem to help a little. You take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale (out) through your mouth and raise your tummy out (with hand on it) as you exhale. Pretty easy yeah? I find this good when I am really breathless. The best thing to do also when really breathless is not to panic either. Stay calm. It's hard not to (I know) but you must say to yourself "come on breath" just concentrate on the the deep breathing. It does work. I also find a room fan useful (if warm enough). In the wintertime though stay warm and dry. Not doing so causes chest infections and colds which make breathing worse. I also recommend no pets what so ever. No. No. I have found every animal that I have come into contact with causes allergies which trigger asthma attacks. I also find alcohol takes my breath away.

• Sometimes I'm very breathless, not everyone will see.
• Sometimes I'm very frightened, but I'll try not to be.
• Sometimes I'm very tired at what is going on.
• I hope a cure comes soon, before I'm dead and gone.

Eat foods in the basic food groups like fruit and vegetables, dairy products, cereals,grains and proteins. Limit your salt content because it causes fluid retention which affects breathing.  Limit caffeine as this can interfere  with your medication and cause nervousness. Stay clear of foods that cause gas or make you bloated. Try to eat breakfast early as this gives you energy for the rest of the day. Choose foods that are easy to prepare and try to rest before eating your meals. Try eating six small meals a day instead of three large ones this stops stomach swelling  which also causes shortness of breath.  

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