The video above shows an excellent summary of asthma.

Asthma is caused by INFLAMMATION of a person’s airways. This inflammation can be caused by a number of different triggers.

The symptoms of asthma include:

• Shortness of breath
• Tightness in the chest
• Coughing
• Wheezing

• Avoid your triggers. (This especially includes smoking, you smoke or live with people who smoke!)

• Inhaled (puffer) medications. (See below for more information on puffers).

• Sometimes, for specific cases of asthma, your doctor may prescribe oral medications, like Singulair.

There are 2 main types of puffer medications:

1) Bronchodilators: these medications dilate your airways . In other words, they relax them; they open them up; they make them wider or larger. This allows you to breathe more air into your lungs. Bronchodilator medications are a quick “rescue” help for your asthma. They make you feel better quickly, but only temporarily.  They do not prevent the underlying inflammation that causes asthma attacks.

2) Inhaled Steroids: these decrease the inflammation in your airways. They get at the root cause of asthma. They take time (days to weeks) to take effect and they must be taking regularly every day in order to help you.

The following video nicely explains how these two types of puffers work. The video is intended for children, but it still shows clear and useful information for adults too!:

There are many different types of puffers these days. Some puffers have the medication in aerosol form. Others are in a dry-powder form.

One of the most common type of puffer is an aerosol “Metered-Dose Inhaler”.

Multi-dose inhalers are ideally used with a “spacer” or “aerochamber”, especially for children!

Some puffers come in the form of a “Diskus”. 

Some puffers come in the form of a “Turbuhaler”.

Please visit Asthma.ca‘s website on TREATMENTS for more information.

The goals of asthma control are:

• Requiring your “reliever” (“rescue”) inhalers as little as possible – 3 or less times per WEEK.

• Never having asthma symptoms at night.

• Your asthma is not affecting your physical activity or ability to exercise.

• Flares of your asthma are mild and infrequent.

• You never have to miss school nor work because of your asthma.

*** If you are not meeting ALL the above goals, then your asthma is NOT under proper control and you should return to see your Family Doctor ***

Visit the following websites:

• Asthma Canada
• The Canadian Thoracic Society