Asthma

Inflammation of the Airways.

• Having a low birth weight
• Being born prematurely
• Being exposed to tobacco smoke as a child
• Having a family history of asthma

• Coughing - particularly at night
• Wheezing like a whistling sound
• A tight chest which feels like a band around it
• Feeling breathless or gasping for breath

• Relievers
• Preventors
• Spacers
• Steroid medication

EMOTIONAL

• Worried about triggering an asthma attack
• Anxious about keeping to dietary changes

FINANCIAL

• No income as work triggers the asthma

INTELLECTUAL

• Increased knowledge of asthma

• Carrying an inhaler at all times
• Monitoring asthma using a peak flow meter
• Avoiding allergic triggers
• Getting involved in gentle exercise e.g. swimming
• Stopping smoking
• Losing weight if overweight