Search by Color or Cause
Asthma Awareness Month
May is Asthma Awareness Month. It is represented by gray enamel awareness pins, fabric ribbons, and silicone wristbands.
Today we’re going to learn a little bit about asthma, in honor of Asthma Awareness Month. The color grey symbolizes asthma. The color for allergies and asthma is teal.
I’m sure everyone is familiar with asthma to some degree, so Asthma Awareness Month affects many people. I think there’s at least one kid in every school who has asthma and relies on an inhaler to be able to get through P.E. or band practice. It’s a very common disease that affects many professional athletes and musicians. When properly treated and managed, the disease doesn’t hold you back from doing anything you want to do. When not well controlled, asthma can be very serious and even life threatening.
Asthma is an inflammatory condition that affects the lungs. In turn, this affects how well a person is able to breathe. Asthma is believed to be caused by a combination of environmental factors and genetics. In other words, it can run in families. It may be triggered by allergies or other things like pollution. Asthma can cause a wheezing sound when you breathe, a feeling of being unable to catch your breath, coughing, and tightness of the chest. It can become worse with exercise or during the night. Fun fact: the word asthma actually comes from the Greek word for panting.
Inflammation and Asthma
Asthma occurs when the bronchial tubes become inflamed in reaction to a trigger, like smoke or even a food allergy. When the lungs are exposed to a trigger, they become inflamed and begin producing sticky mucus. In turn, this makes breathing more difficult because it can obstruct the airways. It can also cause the bronchial tubes to spasm, which is why it can cause a cough.
Asthma Awareness Month Highlights Symptoms of an Asthma Attack
When people start experiencing symptoms suddenly and acutely, it’s called an asthma attack. Asthma attacks must always be treated. Not treating the inflammation in the lungs can cause the inflammation to worsen, making breathing progressively more difficult. Treatment is often very effective, and side effects are mild. If inflammation is not treated, especially when it occurs regularly, this can result in permanent damage.
Asthma varies from person to person, and not everyone will experience the same symptoms in the same ways. No two cases of asthma are exactly alike. Also, the condition can change over time. Symptoms can vary by trigger, resulting in mild symptoms when exposed to one trigger, while another trigger may cause a very serious and dangerous asthma attack. It’s all about learning your triggers and the effect they have on you.
Asthma Awareness Month – Make Sure Your Inhaler Has Not Expired
Side note: Make sure your inhalers aren’t expired. Sometimes when people keep a rescue inhaler just in case of emergency, but haven’t had symptoms in awhile, they forget to make sure it’s still good. Set yourself a reminder in your phone to reorder the inhaler a few weeks before expiration. Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it work. That goes for all medicine.
Symptoms
Recognizing the early symptoms of asthma can help lead to a quicker diagnosis, before anything serious happens. Asthma can be tricky to diagnose, because symptoms aren’t always bad enough to interfere with daily activity. The symptoms can also mimic other issues, making it easy to overlook. So, let’s take a look at what the early signs or symptoms of asthma may be, so that they’re easier to recognize.
- Coughing. Frequent coughing, especially when it gets worse at night, can be a good indication of asthma.
- Wheezing. Wheezing and coughing may get worse. Exercise may be a trigger.
- Shortness of breath. Shortness of breath can feel like you can’t take a full breath. It can also feel like you’re inhaling deeply but not getting enough air. Shortness of breath can feel different to different people.
- Weakness or tiredness during exercise. Because you’re not getting enough oxygen, exercise can be more difficult than it should be.
- Allergies, or common cold symptoms. These symptoms include coughing, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, headache, or sore throat.
- Mood. People who are experiencing asthma symptoms can be irritable and easily upset, or even just grouchy and tired.
- Difficulty sleeping. Since asthma has a tendency to get worse at night, people with asthma can sometimes have a hard time sleeping, or have poor quality of sleep. This is often the source of the tiredness and grouchiness.
Asthma Treatments
Anti-inflammatories and steroids typically treat asthma. The delivery method can depend on the type of asthma, the severity and frequency. Most people with asthma carry an inhaler. Inhalers for asthma differ. Some combine two medications into one inhaler. Others are simply a steroid. Further, some help to dilate the airways to allow air to flow easier.
Home nebulizers are helpful. They utilize the same kinds of medications found in an inhaler, but are better for people who have a hard time using inhalers. Children, infants, and older adults with asthma commonly use nebulizers. This method takes a little longer than an inhaler does, but is equally effective. Following a serve asthma attack, the doctor may prescribe a short course of oral steroids (corticosteroids in pill form) to help reduce the inflammation and help your body to recover, while also preventing another attack. They are very effective.
Personalized Cause® Awareness Blogs
Personalized Cause® is the number one source for custom awareness ribbons in the United States. We carry both enamel and fabric awareness ribbons in a multitude of colors. We also have silicone wristbands to coordinate with our ribbons and pins. Our custom awareness ribbons are our most unique product. Advocates and customers can customize single awareness ribbon pins with a name, date, phrase, or message. In other words, we don’t require bulk orders. You can order just one ribbon pin, or order a bunch and personalize each one with its own message. It’s completely up to you!
We want to help you raise awareness and be an advocate with the help of our awareness accessories. Personalized Cause® writes this blog to educate our customers and readers about common health issues that affect people every day. We believe that raising awareness raises the bar in our communities, making people more understanding, educated, and compassionate. Cliché though it may be, we’re just trying to make the world a little better, one awareness ribbon and blog entry at a time. Thanks for reading!
#asthma #asthmasucks #asthmaattack #asthmatic #inhaler #nebulizer #breathing #awareness #awarenessribbons #cancerribbons #lungs #inflammation #wheezing
