World Asthma Day

World Asthma Day is celebrated annually on the first Tuesday in May by the Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA) to bring global awareness to all people affected by asthma.

World Asthma Day is an annual awareness-raising event supported by the Global Asthma Initiative (GINA) and the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLB), as well as World Asthma Foundation.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a disease that affects your lungs. It is one of the most common long-term illnesses in children, but adults can also develop asthma. Wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing at night or early in the morning are some symptom of asthma. If you have asthma, you always have it, but you will have an asthma attack only when something bothers your lungs.

We don't know all the things that can cause asthma, but we do know that genetic, environmental and occupational factors are involved in developing asthma.

If your relative has asthma in your family, you are more likely to be got it. “Atopy,” the genetic predisposition to developing allergic disease, may play an important role in the development of allergic asthma. However, it is not all asthma that is allergic asthma.

Exposure to things in the environment, such as mold or dampness, certain allergens like dust mites, and secondhand smoke have been linked to developing asthma. Air pollution and lung viral infections can also lead to asthma.

Occupational asthma occurs when a person who has never had asthma develops it because they are exposed to something at work. This can happen if you are allergic to something at work such as mold or if you are exposed to irritants such as wood dust or chemicals in the workplace.

How can you tell if you have asthma?

It can be difficult to tell if someone has asthma, especially in children under the age of 5. Having your doctor check how well your lungs are working and allergy testing can help you find out if you have asthma.

During your physical exam, your doctor will ask if you have a lot of cough, especially at night. They will also ask you if your breathing problems get worse after physical activity or at certain times of the year. The doctor will then ask about chest tightness, wheezing, and a cold that lasts more than 10 days. He or she will ask if anyone in your family has or has ever had asthma, allergies, or other breathing problems. Finally, your doctor will ask questions about your home and whether you miss school or work or have trouble doing certain things.

Your doctor may also do a breathing test, called spirometry, to find out how well your lungs are working by checking how much air you can exhale after taking a deep breath first and after you use your asthma medicine.

How is asthma treated?

Take your medication exactly as your doctor tells you to and stay away from things that can trigger an asthma attack to keep your asthma under control.

Everyone with asthma does not take the same medicines.

You can breathe in some medicines and take others in pill form. There are two types of asthma including quick relief and long-term control. Reliever medications quickly control the symptoms of an asthma attack. If you need more and more pain medication, see your doctor to see if you need another medication. Long-term controller medications give you less pain and are milder, but they don't help you when you're having an asthma attack.

Asthma medications can have side effects, but most side effects are mild and go away soon. Do not forget to get more knowledge about drug side effects via the advice from doctors.

Please remember that you can control your asthma. With your doctor's help, create your own asthma action plan. Do you know who should have a copy of your plan and where he or she should keep it? Take long-term controller medication even if you have no symptoms.

History of World Asthma Day

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that makes breathing difficult and affects sufferers to varying degrees. Asthma is caused by swelling and inflammation of the bronchial tubes, sometimes in response to allergens, exercise, and stress or temperature changes. Asthma is usually not curable but can be controlled to some degree, depending on how much it affects the sufferer. If asthma is controlled, a person can live a relatively normal life, although some triggers may be required to be avoided.

Asthma is controlled with medication that prevents chronic symptoms and relieves asthma flare-ups. Education and understanding are important to effective control of asthma, which can be fatal if not managed properly. World Asthma Day educates and raises awareness about the condition with the hope of reducing suffering and reducing mortality.

On World Asthma Day, the American Thoracic Society joined the Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA) and other founding members of the Forum of the International Respiratory Society (FIRS) to recognize the theme. This year: “Discovering Misconceptions about Asthma.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Report on Asthma, more than 339 million people suffer from asthma, which can cause wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. WHO estimates that in 2016, 420,000 people died from asthma - 1,150 people every day. Although asthma cannot be cured, it can be controlled to reduce and prevent asthma attacks, or episodes.

The theme of this year's World Asthma Day is "Discovering Misconceptions about Asthma". FIRS join this call to action, which aims to address widespread myths and misconceptions related to asthma that prevent people with asthma from receiving optimal benefits from great progress in controlling this condition.

Some truths about Asthma

• Asthma can be acquired at any age (including children, adolescents, adults and the old).
• Asthma is not contagious. However, viral respiratory infections (such as the common cold and flu) can trigger asthma attacks. In children, asthma is often related to allergies, but adult-onset asthma is less often associated with allergies.
• When asthma is well controlled, asthma patients can exercise and even perform peak sports.
• Asthma can often be controlled with low-dose inhaled steroids.

How to celebrate World Asthma Day

• Invite your group or business, respiratory therapist or other health professionals to keep you up to date with the latest in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Organize a hike for people with asthma and their friends, led by a healthcare provider who can educate the group on how to manage asthma in the environment.
• Arrange school visits to educate children about asthma and provide on-site peak flow testing.
• Use #WorldAsthmaDay and #WAD to share on social media.