Everyone knows someone who has asthma, or knew someone at school who suffered from asthma exacerbation. It is estimated to affect more than 260 million people in the world according to the World Health Organisation (source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma). Asthma is a condition in which your airways constrict leaving you with a reduced capacity to breathe out. This severely impacts your respiratory system and quite simply makes it incredibly difficult to breathe. First aid instructors used to say if you wanted to find out what it felt like to have an asthma exacerbation you should run up the stairs whilst trying to breathe through a drinking straw.

Can Asthma go away by itself?

Asthma is a chronic condition that never goes away as it is a permanent change to the structure of your lungs and airways in the way that they are constricted. However, it can feel like it goes away by itself and it is possible for asthma to go into remission.

If the condition is managed well, then you can end up going for long stretches of time without the need for further treatment and you’re considered to be in asthma remission if you’ve managed 12 months without serious symptoms or needing corticosteroid inhalers.

A lot of people believe that you can grow out of asthma, but what’s really happening is that people who have suffered from asthma in childhood have simply entered this remission state. Sadly, the condition is still there and it’s possible to get a second peak of symptoms later on in life too.

Can smoking give you asthma?

Smoking and vaping can cause asthma. Developing asthma later on in life is entirely possible with adult onset asthma also being caused by:

  • Allergies
  • A family history of asthma making you genetically predisposed to it developing
  • Spending a lot of time in environments with lots of allergens
  • High levels of air pollution
  • Becoming overweight
  • Severe viral infections such as flu, RSV, or the common cold
  • Hormonal changes or estrogen treatments

Those who develop it at middle age and onwards are also far less likely to enter the remission state mentioned above, with symptoms needing more active management.

FluCamp runs clinical trials that study the effect that the common cold has on asthma, with the intention to develop better medication for handling asthma exacerbation in these situations. https://flucamp.com/asthma-clinical-trials/

Can stress cause asthma?

Stress can’t cause the development of asthma, but it can be a trigger for asthma attacks in those who already have the condition. The heightened mental state of stress can affect the physiological response of inflaming airways making it difficult to breathe.

Everyone’s asthma attack triggers are slightly different, but some of the more common triggers include:

  • Cold or dry air
  • Physical activity and exercise
  • Allergens such as dust mites, pollen and animal fur (more specifically their dander)
  • Strong smells and chemicals
  • Smoke
  • Some medications (even something simple like and over-the-counter aspirin can trigger an attack)

Should I talk to a doctor about asthma or can I manage it myself?

If you’re worried that you might have asthma and have bouts of being short of breath, it’s absolutely something you should get a doctor to take a look at. Asthma is a manageable condition but isn’t something you can necessarily do by yourself without medication. Even if you are given an emergency inhaler that you very rarely need, it is far better to be on the safe side in case something unexpected causes it to flare up and develop more rapidly.

FluCamp carries out clinical trials to better understand how viral infections interact with asthma, meaning asthma treatment is still constantly being developed and refined, making life just a little bit more comfortable for asthma sufferers.