What is asthma?
Asthma is a lung disease that causes coughing, wheezing, tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing. It affects millions of Americans and thousands of Nebraskans, including adults and children. Learn more about asthma from one of our lead agencies, the American Lung Association.
Controlling Asthma
There is no cure for asthma but asthma can be controlled. There are many medicines available for treating asthma, including daily, preventative medications that help decrease asthma attacks, ER visits, hospitalizations and missed school/work days. These are called controller medicines. There are also reliever medicines that help relieve the symptoms of asthma, but only temporarily.
Avoiding triggers of asthma can also help control asthma. This includes avoiding infections as much as possible and reducing exposure to things like allergens and irritants. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important in controlling asthma.
You can find out if you or your child’s asthma is well-controlled by taking a survey at one of the links below. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider if you find that your asthma is not well-controlled.
