Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects the airways in the lungs that touches over 262 million people globally. It is also the most common chronic condition among children . It can make it harder to breathe and causes coughing, wheezing, or a tight feeling in your chest.
Well, imagine your lungs are a tree with many branches, called airways. Each airway has a lining called the mucous membrane, which helps protect your lungs from germs, dust and other allergens. There are tiny muscles wrapped around the airways that can constrict or relax and change the size of the airways.
People with asthma have airways that are more sensitive than usual. So when they are exposed to certain triggers, like smoke, pollen, or even stress, their airways can become inflamed and produce extra mucous. This makes it difficult to breathe.
But the good news is, people with asthma can still live normal, active lives. In fact, some of the most successful athletes and professional football players have asthma.
While there is no cure for asthma, there are ways to manage it. By working with your doctor to create asthma management plan and avoiding triggers wherever possible, you can keep your asthma under control and continue to live a healthy, active life. So, don’t let asthma hold you back and head out for your next big adventure.
References:
What is Asthma. Accessed on: 23 May 2023.
Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/asthma
Asthma. Accessed on: 23 May 2023.
Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma.
*Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet. 2020;396(10258);1204-22
