Breathefree - What is Severe Asthma?

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What is Severe Asthma

• Asthma is a breathing condition that affects
  millions worldwide. While asthma cannot be cured,
  it is
• possible to control asthma by avoiding triggers
  and following the recommended treatment option to
  manage the symptoms. But in a small percentage
  of people diagnosed with asthma, it cannot be
  controlled with the usual treatment and begins to
  affect their everyday life. This is known as
  severe asthma.
• Whether or not you have severe asthma can be
  because of a number of possible causes. Genetics,
  your environment, how asthma has affected your
  body, and how your body reacts to the disease can
  also play a part. Control of asthma symptoms
  depends on many factors and having poor control
  could also be because of factors that can be
  corrected such as ensuring the medication is
  taken as prescribed, ensuring the inhaler
  devices are used properly, reducing exposure to
  allergens, and quitting smoking.
• Symptoms of Severe Asthma
• The severity of asthma can change over time. You
  might have received your asthma diagnosis and
  have mild symptoms but it can become severe if
  your symptoms get worse. You might have severe
  asthma if you
• Have asthma symptoms that occur throughout the
  day
• Wake up because of the symptoms, 7 nights per
  week for ages 5 and older or more than 1 night
  per week for children 4 and younger
• Have asthma symptoms that affect your daily
  activities
• Types of Severe Asthma
• Severe asthma can fall under three groups
• Untreated severe asthma
• When severe asthma occurs without being on any
  asthma treatment plan, it is considered to be
  untreated severe asthma. If proper treatment is
  provided and followed, it is possible to improve
  their condition, reduce the symptoms, and no
  longer have severe asthma
• Difficult-to-treat severe asthma
• When there is poor control of asthma because of
  factors that are not asthma itself, it is
  considered to be difficult-to-treat severe
  asthma. This can be because of not following the
  prescribed medication, using

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inhalers without the proper technique, being
exposed to triggers like smoking, or even some
other medical issue. 3. Treatment-resistant
severe asthma This includes people diagnosed with
asthma whose symptoms can only be controlled
despite receiving the highest level of the
recommended asthma treatment or not be controlled
even if they do get this treatment. If it cannot
be controlled, it might indicate that their body
is insensitive to medication and any medicine
given does not have the effect it is supposed to.
The ones whose asthma can be controlled with a
high level of treatment can be resistant to the
medication, which means they need a higher dose
to have the same effect. People who fall under
this group are also at a high risk of symptoms
getting worse if treatment is reduced or becomes
unavailable. If you experience any of the
symptoms mentioned, you should consult your
doctor who will work with you to modify your
asthma treatment to reduce the symptoms and bring
your asthma under control. Your doctor will also
be able to determine which type of severe asthma
you have.