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Asthma causes swelling and inflammation in the airways that lead to your lungs. When asthma flares up, the airways tighten and become narrower. This keeps the air from passing through easily and makes it hard for you to breathe. These flare-ups are called asthma attacks.
Asthma affects people in different ways. Some people have asthma attacks only during allergy season, when they breathe in cold air, or when they exercise. Others have many bad attacks that send them to the doctor often.
Even if you have few asthma attacks, you still need to treat your asthma. The swelling and inflammation in your airways can lead to permanent changes in your airways and harm your lungs.
Two kinds of medicine are used to treat asthma:
- Controller medicines control asthma over the long term. Many people take controller medicine — usually an inhaled corticosteroid — every day. Taking it every day helps to reduce the swelling of the airways and prevent attacks. Your doctor will show you how to use your inhaler correctly. This is very important so you get the right amount of medicine to help you breathe better.
- Quick-relief medicines treat asthma attacks when they occur. One quick-relief medicine is albuterol. If you need to use your inhaler more often than usual, talk to your doctor. This may be a sign that your asthma is not controlled and can cause problems.
Resources
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