Why does asthma make it hard for people to breathe

For the days following a flare-up, be sure to:. Poor asthma management can lead to airway remodeling. Airway remodeling is a serious condition that happens when asthma is untreated or poorly managed. The lungs become scarred, asthma medicines do not work as well and less air is able to move through your airways.

Airway remodeling does not have to happen. Work with a healthcare professional to minimize asthma flare-ups and find a treatment plan that works for you. Take control of your asthma! This November your donation goes even further to improve lung health and defeat lung cancer. Double Your Gift. Images 1. Thanks for using AAFA as a source! Copy Link to Comment Report Comment. Add Reaction. R RebeccaH Member.

HoangDacViet Member. I cough once in a while when you swallow, eat or drink Much obliged to you for giving such essential data, and a debt of gratitude is for sharing this issue.

Post Manage Blog Post. Report Blog Post. Membership Required We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register. Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List? Notice that the airways are narrowed skinny , so less air can move in and out of the lungs. But during an asthma attack, air gets trapped inside the lungs making it harder and harder to breathe. Department of Pediatrics. Asthma Attacks Lots of things can cause an asthma attack.

Some common triggers are: allergies infections like colds or bronchitis exercise changes in the weather from mild to cold smoke Whenever there is an asthma attack, there are changes in normal breathing. What is Normal Breathing? In This Section down-arrow. A combination of physical activity and breathing cold air can significantly worsen asthma symptoms. These symptoms tend to develop shortly after a person is exposed to cold air outdoors.

They usually go away after the person reaches a warmer environment. If a person has an asthma attack that is triggered by cold weather, they should first use their short-acting inhaler to loosen and open up the airways. Typically, this inhaler contains albuterol, a beta agonist. A person should always carry their inhaler with them if they are going outdoors in colder temperatures. Next, a person experiencing a cold-induced asthma attack should try to get to a warmer environment as quickly as possible.

After breathing in warmer air for several minutes, the airways should start to open up, and symptoms should reduce quickly. If a person experiences these symptoms regularly, they should bring this up with their doctor. The doctor may prescribe further long-term treatments, such as a long-acting bronchodilator.

When exercise triggers asthma symptoms, the medical term for this is exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. To reduce this effect, a doctor may also prescribe medications called leukotriene receptor inhibitors. For anyone with asthma, working to control symptoms and reduce the number of attacks can help prevent symptoms from developing in cold weather. Weather this cold is significantly more likely to trigger asthma symptoms.