Highlights
- Asthma is a medical condition affecting the airways
- Asthma symptoms can be triggered by different factors for different people
- GP warns that asthma is deadly therefore proper management is vital
Asthma is a medical condition affecting the airways. In an interview with SBS Filipino's Healthy Pinoy segment, Dr Lorie De Leon says people with asthma may find it hard to breathe in and out because the airways of the lungs become narrow.
"Asthma is a respiratory condition where the airways of the lungs become inflamed and the airways become narrow."
Although there is no cure for asthma, she says that it can be controlled and most people with asthma can still live an active and healthy life.
Common symptoms
Dr De Leon shares that the most common symptoms of asthma are:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath or a feeling of not being able to get enough air
- Tightness in the chest
Asthma Triggers
She adds asthma symptoms can be triggered by different factors for different people. The common triggers are:
- Environment
- Colds, fever and flu
- Allergens in the air like grass pollen
- Cold weather
- Exercise
- Cigarette smoke
Keeping asthma under control
Dr De Leon warns that asthma is deadly therefore proper management is vital to avoid worsening the symptoms.
She also recommends that those who have asthma should take their medicine right away at the right time, to regularly visit their GP for check up and to have an action plan to understand what triggers their asthma.
