Asthma
Asthma1 is a disease that affects your lungs. Asthma can cause repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. Your doctor can help you learn how to manage your asthma.
Asthma in adults
Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs. In most cases, we don’t know:
- What causes asthma
- How to cure asthma
If you have asthma, you can control it2 by:
- Knowing the warning signs of an attack
- Staying away from things that trigger an attack
- Following your doctor’s advice about your asthma
Asthma in children
Asthma3 is one of the most common long-term diseases of children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A child who has asthma may not experience symptoms. A child only will have an asthma attack when something bothers his or her lungs.
If you think your child has asthma, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe an inhaler for your child to use when he or she has an asthma attack.
Check out this video from the CDC about , opens new window.
Your doctor also can help you identify and learn how to address your child’s asthma triggers.
If you or your child has asthma, our Community Management Department can connect you with resources in your community. Call us at 813-392-5303 (TTY: 711), Monday – Friday, from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Eastern time.
Asthma triggers
If you have asthma, many things indoors can cause an asthma attack.4 You spend most of your time indoors, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor allergens and irritants can make asthma worse and/or trigger asthma:
- Symptoms
- An episode
- Attack
If you have asthma, you may react to one or more triggers. Some common triggers include:
- Chemical Irritants
- Cockroaches and Pests
- Dust Mites
- Molds
- Nitrogen Dioxide
- Outdoor Air Pollution
- Pets
- Secondhand Smoke
- Wood Smoke
Talk to your doctor about:
- Your triggers
- A potential treatment plan
- How to reduce exposure to asthma triggers
Asthma action plan
If you have asthma, ask your doctor about helping you with an asthma action plan. An asthma action plan encourages self-management of asthma and includes:
- A list of asthma triggers
- Emergency telephone numbers
- Information about how to avoid asthma triggers
- Instructions for taking asthma medicine
- Information on what to do during an asthma episode
- Instructions on when to call a doctor
You and your doctor should update your action plan every year.
- “Asthma,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last accessed April 4, 2023, , opens new window.
- “Learn How to Control Asthma,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last accessed April 4, 2023, , opens new window.
- “Learn How to Control Asthma: Parents,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last accessed April 4, 2023, , opens new window.
- “Asthma Triggers Gain Control,” United States Environmental Protection Agency, last accessed April 4, 2023, , opens new window.