By Dalia Munoz ASTHMA

is a serious and ongoing disease that affects the airways of both adults and children. Airways are the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. Asthma is a chronic, long-term disease with no cure, but there are treatments available to help control and prevent asthma symptoms. Talk to your healthcare provider about treatment options that may be right for you. DEFINITION

AGE GROUP number of persons Total, 12 years and over2,362,9022,308,9412,446,4672,511,8902,385,833 Males1,008,455942,9711,016,0821,066,427983,434 Females1,354,4471,365,9701,430,3861,445,4631,402, to 19 years381,121396,258370,219385,817327,782 Males196,503206,027193,881186,654174,374 Females184,618190,231176,338199,163153, to 34 years623,688633,579636,257629,689674,803 Males270,300268,480286,635276,831305,216 Females353,388365,099349,622352,857369, to 44 years377,931355,232367,135373,597322,316 Males156,025138,720150,599167,280135,390 Females221,906216,512216,537206,317186, to 64 years658,063586,373755,397781,887684,561 Males250,281198,512257,280316,912226,717 Females407,782387,861498,117464,975457, years and over322,098337,500317,460340,900376,372 Males135,345131,232127,687118,750141,738 Females186,753206,268189,773222,150234,634 Note: Population aged 12 and over who report that they have been diagnosed by a health professional as having asthma.

Shortness of breath Chest tightness or pain Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing A whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling (wheezing is a common sign of asthma in children) Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu SYMPTOMS

Physical exam To rule out other possible conditions — such as a respiratory infection or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your signs and symptoms and about any other health problems. DIAGNOSIS

Prevention and long-term control are key in stopping asthma attacks before they start. Treatment usually involves learning to recognize your triggers and taking steps to avoid them, and tracking your breathing to make sure your daily asthma medications are keeping symptoms under control. In case of an asthma flare-up, you may need to use a quick-relief inhaler, such as albuterol. TREATMENTS

Asthma is usually chronic, although it occasionally goes into long periods of remission. Long-term outlook generally depends on severity: In mild-to-moderate cases, asthma can improve over time, and many adults even become symptom free. Even in some severe cases, adults may experience improvement depending on the degree of obstruction in the lungs and the timeliness and effectiveness of treatment. In about 10% of severe persistent cases, changes in the structure of the walls of the airways lead to progressive and irreversible problems in lung function, even in aggressively treated patients PROGNOSIS

REFERENCES MayoClinic.com