LUNG CARE

Asthma is a disease affecting the airways that carry air to and from your lungs. People who suffer from this chronic condition (long-lasting or recurrent) are said to be asthmatic.

The inside walls of an asthmatic's airways are swollen or inflamed. This swelling or inflammation makes the airways extremely sensitive to irritations and increases your susceptibility to an allergic reaction.

As inflammation causes the airways to become narrower, less air can pass through them, both to and from the lungs. Symptoms of the narrowing include wheezing (a hissing sound while breathing), chest tightness, breathing problems, and coughing. Asthmatics usually experience these symptoms most frequently during the night and the early morning.

If you don't control your asthma you will miss school or work more often and you will be less likely to be able to take part in some activities you enjoy.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a collection of lung diseases, which include chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease. Symptoms of COPD include increased breathlessness, a persistent cough with phlegm and frequent chest infections.