American Lung Association of Nevada

WHAT IS ASTHMA?

Asthma is a lung disease. It can be life threatening. There are more than 200,000 people with asthma in Nevada alone.

Asthma is chronic. In other words, you live with it every day.

Asthma causes breathing problems.

These breathing problems are called attacks or episodes of asthma.

WHEN YOU HAVE ASTHMA
It's important to:

Take your asthma seriously.

Take your asthma medicines for asthma.

When asthma symptoms don't improve, get help.

KNOW YOUR ASTHMA SYMPTOMS

"I cough a lot while I exercise or even when I rest after exercising."

"I have shortness of breath."

"I make a wheezing sound when I breathe."

"I feel a tightness in my chest."
Do you feel this way sometimes? Any one of these symptoms may mean that you have asthma. You can have one or more of these symptoms or even different ones. Symptoms are clues that let you know that you are having an asthma attack.

FIND OUT WHAT STARTS YOUR ASTHMA SYMPTOMS
Usually symptoms get started or "triggered" by something that bothers your lungs. These things are called asthma triggers.
There are many kinds of triggers. They can range from viruses (such as colds) to allergies, to gases and particles in the air.
Given this range, you may find it hard to figure out what starts your asthma attacks. You may even think your attacks "just happen." But this is generally not true. Something usually triggers an attack.

CONTROLLING ASTHMA
Asthma can be controlled. You can do it! When you know how to control asthma, it no longer controls you.

"We are passionate about helping the ALA with their fight against ASTHMA; especially children with asthma. We know first hand that asthma can kill and that everyone must learn how serious and debilitating this disease can be. We are tired of hearing, "Oh you have asthma" like it's nothing more than a cold with a simple remedy of an inhaler!"
- Bill and Barbara Adams