It seems only fitting that an introduction to asthma should begin with a profile of what it actually is. It is a physical ailment – like a disease – whereby a person’s airways (the small tubes which carry air into and out of the lungs) become infected.

It sounds pretty nasty. And who’s to disagree, when you look at the symptoms – when a person who suffers from asthma contacts with something that triggers their condition, it irritates their airways straight away. What really happens is that the muscles along the walls of the airways tighten, thereby making them narrower; the airway lining gets inflamed and it begins to swell. What’s worse is that sticky mucus or phlegm can build up – things which will only narrow the airways further.

When the airways get narrower and irritated, it unsurprisingly causes breathing difficulties and thus brings on symptoms of asthma.

The most common symptoms of asthma are the following: coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest. But they are not strictly the same for every single person. There are those who just experience them from time to time; while others may experience one or more of these symptoms all the time.

It may sound alarming that there is no known cure for asthma; but is easily treatable. People who suffer from it treat themselves with “inhalers”: hand-held devices containing a substance that helps to dispel some of that troublesome phlegm etc. They will confirm that asthma need not interfere with your everyday life. It is of course important to take your asthma medicine properly – your doctor or asthma nurse should be able to explain how to use an inhaler properly so as to ensure that every dose you take will be of maximum benefit to you. You can get reliever inhalers and preventer inhalers; but also other treatments and “add-on therapies”. There are other asthma treatment options available but the inhaler method is the most common option; and it is also highly effective: after all, given that inhaler medicine is, well, inhaled, it reaches your lungs straight away.

Official sources state that problems with inhaler usage are very common. When in doubt, talk to your doctor or asthma nurse specialist; they should be able to examine your inhaler technique, or they may give you a new one if necessary. They may even suggest the procurement of a large volume spacer (only available on prescription) – an object that makes aerosol inhalers easier to use and more effective. They work by trapping the medicine inside the spacer – it is not necessary for you to worry about pressing the inhaler while also breathing in, at exactly the same time.