Infection as an Asthma Trigger
... When you have asthma, any infection – a cold, virus, flu – can affect the lungs causing inflammation and bronchconstriction. It is important to take measures to stay healthy and be aware of any lung s...

Nut Allergies
... Allergic reaction to nuts can progress rapidly to anaphylaxis. Peanut allergy is responsible for more fatalities than any other type of allergy. If you suffer from a nut allergy, strictly avoiding nut...

Shellfish Allergies
... If you suffer from a shellfish allergy, strictly avoiding shellfish and food containing shellfish is the only way to prevent a reaction. If your doctor is able to identify exactly which type of shellf...

Soy Allergy
... Soybeans are legumes. Other foods in the legume family include navy beans, kidney beans, string beans, black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas (garbanzo or chichi beans), lentils, carob, licorice, and pea...

Understanding Asthma Triggers
... What are asthma triggers? Asthma is characterized by narrowed airways, but the exact cause is unknown. A process called inflammation contributes to the narrowing of the airways. The airways in a perso...

Diagnosing Asthma
... To diagnose asthma, your doctor will review your medical history, family history, and symptoms. He or she will be interested in any history of breathing problems you might have had, as well as a famil...

Symptoms of Asthma
... People with asthma have symptoms when the airways are narrowed (bronchospasm), swollen (inflamed), or filled with mucus. Common symptoms of asthma include: Coughing, especially at night Wheezing Short...

Signs and symptoms
... Asthma signs and symptoms can range from mild to severe. You may experience only occasional episodes of asthma with moderate, short-lived symptoms such as wheezing. You might also cough and wheeze mos...

Causes
... You''re more likely to develop asthma if you have an inherited predisposition to the condition and are sensitive to allergens or irritants in your environment. In fact, the inflammation that causes as...

Risk factors
... For reasons no one quite understands, the number of asthma cases has risen dramatically during the past decade, especially among children living in the inner city. Approximately 14 million Americans h...

When to seek medical advice
... Three key circumstances may lead you to talk to your doctor about asthma: If you think you have asthma. Wheezing, difficulty breathing, pain or tightening in your chest, or coughing without any other ...

Screening and diagnosis
... Diagnosing asthma can be difficult. Signs and symptoms can range from mild to very severe and are often similar to those of other conditions, including emphysema, early congestive heart failure or voc...