Living with asthma
2.2 million Australians have asthma, including 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 6 children, making Australia the 3rd highest prevalence of childhood asthma in the world. There continues to be improvement in treatment and management, but as yet to find a cure. However this shouldn’t limit you in what you want to do.
How dangerous is asthma?
Asthma should be taken seriously. Asthma attacks can be dangerous, if not properly managed. Try to avoid triggers, pay attention to signs that your asthma might be worsening; take control and asthma won’t limit you.
Treatment
Recently, asthma treatments are more focused on the prevention and avoidance of asthma symptoms and asthma attacks. Everyone has differences in their asthma and lifestyles, so you'll need to work with your doctor to find which treatments best fit your way of life.
Steroids treatment, is also an option, when an asthma sufferer is moderate to severe. This reduces the inflammation in the airways, which is the cause of asthma and thus allows air to reach the lungs
Also make sure you understand the treatment plan prescribed your doctor – asthma medicines can be confusing and are often not used correctly.
Management
[] Find out what makes your asthma worse, for example pets, smoke or pollen, and try avoid them. This means that you keep your lungs healthy and need to take less medication.
[] Control your asthma. Many people have asthma that is out of control because they don't understand how to manage it. If you feel that your symptoms have increased or find that your using reliever medication more often then let your parents know and see your doctor.
[] Regular physical activity is also part of good asthma management. However the correct preparation and environment for exercise is important so that it doesn’t trigger asthma.
