Some people who have had asthma all their life may find that it starts affecting them in different ways when they get older. For example, they may have coughed or wheezed previously, but as they get older, they may notice they become more breathless.
If flu, colds or other viral infections trigger your asthma you should consider having the flu vaccination.
Changing triggers
In older people, the symptoms of asthma are less likely to be triggered by allergies such as house-dust mites, furry and feathered pets and pollen. Symptoms are more likely to be triggered by: flu, colds or other viral infections; exercise; laughing or getting excited; depression or anxiety; some medicines; and irritants such as cigarette smoke, cold air, perfumes and chemical fumes. For older people, shortness of breath may be the only symptom. However it can be difficult to tell the difference between asthma and other conditions that cause similar symptoms, such as bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) so it is sometimes difficult to diagnose in older adults. Studies have shown that air pollution can trigger symptoms in people who already have asthma. Those most at risk include people with severe asthma and older people with heart or chronic respiratory problems.If flu, colds or other viral infections trigger your asthma you should consider having the flu vaccination. Ask your doctor or asthma nurse or nurse whether you need one. People who are over 65 or anyone who is regularly using steroid tablets should also talk to their doctor or asthma nurse about whether they need a pneumoccocal vaccination.
More than two-thirds of people mistakenly believe that asthma is only a childhood condition, a survey has revealed.In fact, of the 5.1 million people in the UK with asthma, almost 70% are over 15 years old and 40% developed the condition after their 18th birthday.The research, commissioned by Boots and the National Asthma Campaign, found serious gaps in people's understanding of asthma and its symptoms. Only 4% of those interviewed thought that asthma was common in the 50-plus age bracket, and many put their persistent wheezing and breathlessness down to 'getting older'. Just over 40% did not realise that a troublesome cough that is worse at night or early in the morning are common symptoms that indicate poorly-controlled asthma.Professor Martyn Partridge (pictured), the National Asthma Campaign's chief medical adviser said: 'There seems to be a commonly held misconception that asthma only affects children. Not only does the condition affect all ages, it can start for the first time at any age.'It may be the case that many people have asthma but don't realise it. It is vital to recognise the symptoms early on in order to receive appropriate treatment and to control the condition by working with your GP, practice nurse or local pharmacist. If the condition goes untreated, it can lead to a downward spiral of poor health and an increased risk of long-term lung damage.'Sandra Phillips, 53, from Norfolk, recently found out that she has asthma: 'I had been feeling out of breath and wheezing a lot more than in my 40s. I put this down to the fact that I was getting older, until my daughter suggested that perhaps I had developed asthma. When I visited my GP, he confirmed that I did have asthma. Now I'm on the correct medication, my life is back to normal and I am no longer restricted in what I can do.'The National Asthma Campaign is Boots Charity of the Year 2003/2004. An information leaflet about asthma will be available in Boots' stores across the UK from the end of April and money raised through the company's fundraising activities during 2003/2004 will help fund vital Campaign research into the causes and treatment of asthma.
Asthma (say: az-muh) is a condition that affects a person's airways, which are also called breathing tubes or bronchial (say: brong-kee-ul) tubes. These tubes lead from the windpipe, or trachea (say: tray-kee-uh), into the lungs. For most kids, breathing is simple: They breathe in through their noses or mouths and the air goes into the windpipe. From there, it travels through the airways and into the lungs. But for kids with asthma, breathing can be a lot more difficult because their airways are very sensitive.
An asthma flare-up, which some people call an asthma attack or episode, happens when a person's airways get swollen and narrower and it becomes a lot harder for air to get in and out of the lungs. Sometimes the swollen airways produce extra mucus, which makes things pretty sticky, so it's easy to see why it's hard to breathe.
In between flare-ups, a kid's breathing can be totally normal or seem that way. But during a flare-up, it can feel like the person is breathing through a straw. A kid with asthma may wheeze (a whistling sound when he or she breathes), cough, and feel tightness in the chest. An asthma flare-up can get worse and worse if a kid doesn't use asthma medicine. After an asthma flare-up, the airways almost always return to the way they were before, although it can take several days.
Who Gets Asthma?
Asthma is more common than you might think. As many as 6 million kids in the
No one really knows why one person's airways are more sensitive than another person's, but we do know that asthma runs in families. That means if a kid has asthma, he or she may also have a parent, sibling, uncle, or other relative who has asthma or had it as a child.
Asthma flare-ups may sound a little like a cold, with coughing and wheezing, but asthma isn't contagious. You can't catch it from someone like you can catch a cold.
What Causes an Asthma Flare-Up?
Different kids have different triggers - things that set off asthma flare-ups. There are a lot of triggers. Some kids are sensitive to allergens (say: ah-lur-jenz), substances that cause allergic reactions in the airways. Common allergens for kids with asthma include dust mites (tiny bugs that live in dust), mold (if you've ever been in a damp basement and smelled something funny, it was probably mold), and pollen (from trees, grass, and weeds).
A lot of kids have asthma flare-ups when they are near furry animals. Cats and dogs both have what's called animal dander in their fur. This is sort of like dandruff, and it's a trigger that can cause a powerful reaction in the airways.
Some substances can trigger flare-ups because they really irritate the airways. These include perfume, chalk dust, and cigarette smoke. Smoking is always a bad idea, especially around someone who has asthma.
Sometimes an infection can be a trigger and set off an asthma flare-up. If a kid comes down with a cold or the flu, his or her airways may become more sensitive than usual. In some kids, cold air itself can cause an asthma flare-up, and so can exercise. In fact, some kids have what's called exercise-induced asthma. This means they have breathing problems only when they exercise.
How Is Asthma Treated?
Kids who have asthma should try to avoid things that can cause their airways to tighten. But some triggers - like cats, colds, and chalk dust - can't always be avoided. That's why kids who are sensitive to those things must manage their asthma by taking medication.
Not every kid's asthma is the same, so there are different medicines for treating it. It's not like curing a sore throat or an earache, when everybody gets the same medicine. Instead, the doctor will think about what causes the asthma flare-ups, how fast the flare-ups happen, and how serious they are. Then he or she will decide on the best kind of treatment.
Some kids need to take asthma medication only once in a while, when they have a flare-up. This is called rescue medicine because it works fast to open the airways, so the person can breathe. Other kids may need to take controller medicine every day. Controller medicine works to keep flare-ups from happening.
A kid who knows in advance that he or she will be around allergens or other triggers may need to take medication ahead of time that will keep the airways open. And kids who have exercise-induced asthma can take medication before exercising so they'll be able to finish all their laps around the track. Whatever their triggers are, kids who have asthma can use a peak flow meter to get an idea of how well they are breathing that day and whether they need to take any medicine.
Asthma medicine often is taken through an inhaler (say: in-hay-lur). An inhaler is a plastic tube that holds a container of medicine. You may have seen a friend or someone in school using an inhaler, which is held up to the mouth. A kid holds the inhaler up to his or her mouth and breathes in. The medicine comes out in a mist that goes into the lungs. The medicine in the mist relaxes the airways, so the person can breathe easier.
Space Out With a Spacer
Sometimes a kid uses an inhaler and something called a spacer. A spacer is a piece that attaches to the inhaler and holds the mist in one place, between the inhaler and the kid's mouth. It lets the kid breathe in when he or she is ready, so it's easier to inhale all the medication.
Sometimes kids take other asthma medicines by swallowing them. Whatever medications a kid takes, the goal is always the same: to get the asthma flare-ups under total control, so the triggers don't create problems.
A lot of kids find their asthma goes away or becomes less serious as they get older. Some doctors think this happens because the airways grow wider as a kid grows up and gets bigger. With more room in the airways, the air has an easier time getting in and out.
Some people do have asthma as adults, but it doesn't have to slow them down. Plenty of Olympic athletes and other sports stars manage their asthma, but keep on playing!
Updated and reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date reviewed: March 2007
