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Library of Congress Control Number: 2023940211
ISBN: 978-1-119-90808-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-90809-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-90810-4 (ebk)
Contents at a Glance
Part 1: Getting Started with Asthma
Part 2: Knowing
Part 3: Controlling Your Asthma
Understanding
Part 4: Special Asthma Conditions
Part 5: Finding
PART 4: SPECIAL ASTHMA CONDITIONS
PART 6: THE PART OF TENS
Introduction
“
I
feel like I’m breathing through a straw.” “Oh, my aching sinuses.” “I can’t stop coughing.” “My child keeps wheezing.” If you’ve ever uttered words like these, you’re not alone. These types of statements often describe asthma symptoms and are some of the most common medical complaints reported by people in the United States and around the world.
Asthma affects more than 25 million people in the United States and is the most common chronic childhood disease. Asthma also leads to almost 2 million emergency room visits and more than 10 million doctor’s appointments per year. In fact, costs associated with asthma, including treatment, medications, and lost productivity, exceed $80 billion each year. The incidence of asthma is rising dramatically in the United States and across the globe, particularly in highly developed parts of the world, including Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In fact, many experts now consider asthma a global epidemic.
But enough about facts and figures. We want to talk about you: How are you feeling? Do you, or someone you know, think that feeling unwell is normal just because you have asthma and that the condition can never improve? Unfortunately, many people answer “yes” to this question. However, as we explain throughout this book, the plain, simple, and accurate medical truth is this: Although no cure for asthma exists, when you receive effective, appropriate care from your doctor and you’re a motivated participant in your asthma management plan, you can lead a normal, active, and fulfilling life.
About This Book
We wrote this book to give you sound, up-to-date, practical advice — based on our more than 50 years of experience with numerous patients — about dealing with asthma effectively and appropriately. For that reason, the book is structured so that you can jump to sections that most directly apply to your medical condition. You don’t need to read this book from cover to cover, although we won’t object if you do. (Be careful, though, because when you start reading, you may have a really hard time putting it down!)
This book can also serve as a reference and source of information about the many facets of diagnosing, treating, and managing asthma. Although you may pick up this book to find out more about one aspect of asthma, you may realize later that other topics also apply to you or a loved one.
Don’t worry about remembering where related subjects are in the book. We provide ample cross-references in every chapter that remind you where to look for the information you may need within other sections of the chapter you’re currently reading or in other chapters.
The information in this book is designed to empower you as a person with asthma, thus helping you
» Set goals for your treatment
» Ensure that you receive the most appropriate and effective medical care for your respiratory condition
» Do your part as a patient by adhering to the treatment plan that you and your physician develop
Foolish Assumptions
We don’t think it’s too foolish to assume that you want substantive, scientifically accurate, relevant information about asthma, presented in everyday language, without a lot of medical mumbo jumbo. In this book, you find straightforward explanations of important scientific aspects of asthma and key medical terms. (You also get a chance to work on your Latin and Greek.)
If you’ve chosen to read our book, we know you’re no dummy, so we’re willing to go out on a limb and make some further assumptions about you, dear reader:
» You or someone you care about suffers from asthma.
» You want to find out more about asthma as part of improving your medical condition (in consultation with your doctor, of course).
» You want to feel better.
» You really like doctors named Bill.
Icons Used in This Book
You may notice the following icons throughout the margins of the book. They’re intended to catch your attention and alert you to the type of information presented in particular paragraphs. Here’s what they mean:
The Author Says icon represents us expressing our opinions.
A Warning icon advises you about potential problems, such as symptoms you shouldn’t ignore or treatments you may not want to undergo.
Myths and misconceptions about asthma abound. The Myth Buster icon indicates a myth or mistaken belief that many people hold about asthma and debunks it with the truth.
The Remember icon indicates things you shouldn’t forget because you may find the information useful in the future.
The See Your Doctor icon alerts you to matters that you should discuss with your physician.
To give you as complete a picture as possible, we occasionally get into more complex details of medical science. The Technical Stuff icon lets you know that’s what we’re doing so you can delve into the topic further — or skip it. You don’t have to read these paragraphs to understand the subject at hand. (However, reading the information with these icons may give you a better handle on managing your medical condition, as well as provide some great material for impressing your friends at your next party.)
You can find plenty of helpful information and advice in paragraphs marked with the Tip icon.
Beyond the Book
The online Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com provides an important list of myths and misconceptions about asthma and allergies, as well as a list of problems that often affect asthma patients. We’ve also included a Top Ten List of Common Asthma Triggers.
Where to Go from Here
Although you can read this book from cover to cover if you want, we suggest turning to the table of contents and finding the sections that apply to your immediate concern. Then begin reading your way to better management of your asthma.
1 Getting Started with Asthma
IN THIS PART . . .
Understand what asthma is, who gets it, and why.
Line up a healthcare team and find out how to work well with them.
Deal with doctor visits, tests, and setting goals.
Personalize your asthma care and stay informed about your condition.
Recognize asthma severity levels, manage asthma for the long term, and improve your quality of life.
IN THIS CHAPTER
» Understanding what asthma is and who gets it
» Digging into the types of asthma
» Figuring out if you have asthma
» Creating an asthma management plan
Chapter 1 Understanding Asthma Basics
According to many experts, asthma is now a global epidemic, and its prevalence and severity continue to grow in many parts of the world, including the United States, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. More than 25 million people in the United States alone and more than 330 million globally have some form of asthma. Taking care of asthma means taking care of your whole body — from your brain to your nose to your lungs — and we are here to help you along the journey as you discover what asthma is, how to treat and manage it, and how to prevent complications.
This chapter starts with the basics of asthma: what it is and how it affects you. Although much of this may seem like high school biology, it’s helpful to understand the contributing factors of asthma, as well as how to live a full life with the condition. You may be surprised to also find out who else lives with asthma since it affects so many people . . . even famous ones, as we highlight in the sidebar “Famous folks with asthma.”
Defining Asthma
You or someone you love has just been diagnosed with asthma. That isn’t easy to hear, and it’s natural to feel afraid or overwhelmed by this unsettling news. The good news is that scientists now know more than ever before about asthma and
how to manage it, and the following sections will help you develop a basic understanding of how asthma affects you.
Asthma is a chronic condition that starts with the immune system and can impact many organs, including the lungs. A wide range of factors can trigger an asthma attack or flare: exercise, cold air, a virus, pollution, smoke, and, for many, a host of allergens. In fact, about 80 percent of children with asthma also have allergies. We talk more about allergies and other asthma triggers in Chapter 6.
Your lung airways are vital to your health. This network of bronchial tubes enables your lungs to absorb oxygen into the blood and get rid of carbon dioxide; the process is called respiration or breathing. Most people take breathing for granted; you usually don’t need to even think about it unless something interferes with the process by obstructing your airways.
How normal breathing works
To better understand how asthma adversely affects your airways, consider what happens in normal breathing:
» The air you inhale flows into your nose and/or mouth and into your trachea, or windpipe.
» Your trachea then divides in the lung into right and left main bronchi, or branches, funneling the air into each of your lungs.
» The main bronchi continue branching out into your lungs and dividing into a network of airways called bronchial tubes. The outside of your bronchial tubes consists of layers of muscles that relax and tighten as you inhale and exhale. Doctors refer to airway relaxation as bronchodilation and to the tightening that can help your lungs push out air when you exhale as bronchoconstriction
» Your network of airways ultimately leads to the alveoli, tiny air sacs that look like small clusters of grapes. They contain blood vessels and provide the means for vital respiratory exchange. Oxygen from the air you breathe is absorbed into the bloodstream, while carbon dioxide gas from your blood exits your body as you exhale. In asthma, airway obstruction is most often the result of an underlying airway inflammation that leads to one or more of the following inflammatory responses: airway hyperresponsiveness, airway constriction, or airway congestion. (See the next section for more information.) Eventually, these inflammatory responses can lead to a vicious cycle in which your airways become more and more sensitive and inflamed because they’re constantly reacting to allergens, irritants, and other factors.
