What is Asthma?

Asthma is usually defined as an inflammatory disease of the air passages, making them prone to narrowing and increased mucus production. It becomes difficult to move air in and out of the lungs. Symptoms include wheeze, shortness of breath, chest tightness and cough.

Follow the links below to find information on symptoms and how to recognise asthma.

Reviewed January 2008

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23 Resources Found
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Title:   Asthma - what is asthma?
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   What is asthma? It is a disease that affects the airways in the lungs, making them go narrow for a few hours or sometimes days, so that it is harder for air to get through.
Date:   Jun 2008

Title:   Emergency Asthma Management course
Publisher:   The Asthma Foundation of Victoria
Description:   The nationally accredited Course in Emergency Asthma Management is designed to promote standardised protocols for treating an asthma emergency, raise awareness of asthma and emergency asthma management, promote development of an asthma policy and provide a registration protocol which enables access to reliever medication for first aid kits.
Date:   Apr 2008

Title:   Spirometry resources
Publisher:   National Asthma Council Australia (NAC)
Description:   Spirometry is the lung function test of choice for both diagnosis and assessment of asthma.
Date:   Mar 2008

Title:   Spirometry: the measurement and interpretation of ventilatory function in clinical practice
Publisher:   National Asthma Council Australia (NAC)
Description:   This handbook was written as a guide for those involved in the performance and interpretation of spirometry in clinical practice, i.e. medical practitioners and assisting nursing staff, and as an introduction to the topic for scientists and technicians. Also known as: Spirometry Handbook 1995.
Date:   Mar 2008

Title:   An overview of asthma
Publisher:   Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Description:   A brief overview of the definition and prevalence of asthma.
Date:   Dec 2007

Title:   Spirometer users' and buyers' guide
Publisher:   Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Description:   Spirometry is the most commonly used method for assessing lung function. It is one of the primary tools used worldwide for the diagnosis, assessment and management of many respiratory diseases including asthma and COPD.
Date:   Oct 2007

Title:   Bronchial asthma and cardiac asthma
Publisher:   myDr
Description:   Find out the difference between cardiac and bronchial asthma.
Date:   Sep 2007

Title:   Asthma and pets
Publisher:   myDr
Description:   Many people with asthma find that animals can trigger a reaction. Find out how you can cope if you are allergic to your pet.
Date:   Aug 2007

Title:   How's your breathing?
Publisher:   The Asthma Foundation of Victoria
Description:   Older adults often think their breathing problems are simply part of getting a bit older, or because they are 'out of shape', slowing down or overweight. Shortness of breath or breathing problems can be caused by many things, such as a chest infection, pneumonia, or smoking. One reason for shortness of breath is asthma.

Title:   Asthma - a guide to peak flow monitoring
Publisher:   The Asthma Foundation of Victoria
Description:   Peak Flow Meters (PFM) measure how fast you can get your air out of your airways. They help you to check on your asthma.

Title:   Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among older people in Australia: deaths and hospitalisations
Publisher:   Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Description:   Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can together be described as obstructive lung disease. This report examines recent data on deaths and hospitalisations among people aged 55 years and over when asthma or COPD are recorded as one of multiple causes of death or hospital diagnoses.
Date:   Sep 2006

Title:   Asthma and your airways
Publisher:   myDr
Description:   Asthma causes airway narrowing, which makes breathing difficult by reducing the amount of air that can travel in and out of the lungs.
Date:   Aug 2006

Title:   Asthma and older people
Publisher:   myDr
Description:   The classic symptoms of asthma can easily be mistaken as part of normal ageing or be misdiagnosed as other health problems in older adults.
Date:   Aug 2006

Title:   Lung function tests
Publisher:   myDr
Description:   Learn how to prepare for a lung function test, and find out why lung function tests are useful management tools for people with asthma.
Date:   Jul 2006

Title:   Your lungs
Publisher:   Child and Youth Health - CYH (South Australia)
Description:   Why do we need air? Because we could not survive without the oxygen in the air that we breathe.
Date:   Jun 2006

Title:   Asthma
Publisher:   Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Description:   Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory disorder of the airways, making them prone to narrowing and increased mucous production.
Date:   Oct 2005

Title:   Asthma and lung function tests: an information paper for health professionals
Publisher:   Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing,National Asthma Council Australia (NAC)
Description:   The aim of this paper is to provide an up-to-date evidence-based summary of the issues around lung function testing in asthma, including practical advice
Date:   Mar 2005

Title:   Asthma and allergy: a guide for health professionals
Publisher:   Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA),Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Description:   The aim of this paper is to provide an up-to-date,evidence-based summary of allergy and asthma management issues including practical advice on allergen avoidance.
Date:   Mar 2005

Title:   Asthma and wheezing in the first years of life
Publisher:   Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing,National Asthma Council Australia (NAC)
Description:   Wheezing occurs when lower airways are narrow or constricted - breathing feels difficult and there is a whistling sound in the chest on breathing out. Wheezing is a symptom of asthma and other lower respiratory conditions (such as the viral condition bronchiolitis).
Date:   Mar 2005

Title:   Asthma and lung function tests
Publisher:   Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing,National Asthma Council Australia (NAC)
Description:   Your doctor may ask you to have a lung function test (a breathing test) to help identify if you have asthma or work out how severe your asthma is. There are two breathing tests used for asthma - spirometry and peak flow measurement.
Date:   Mar 2005
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