What is Severe Asthma

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What is Severe Asthma?

• Asthma is a breathing condition that affects
  millions worldwide. While asthma cannot be cured,
  it is possible to control asthma by avoiding
  triggers and following the recommended treatment
  option to manage the symptoms. But in a small
  percentage of people diagnosed with asthma, it
  cannot be controlled with the usual treatment and
  begins to affect their everyday life. This is
  known as severe asthma.
• Whether or not you have severe asthma can be
  because of a number of possible causes. Genetics,
  your environment, how asthma has affected your
  body, and how your body reacts to the disease can
  also play a part. Control of asthma symptoms
  depends on many factors and having poor control
  could also be because of factors that can be
  corrected such as ensuring the medication is
  taken as prescribed, ensuring the inhaler devices
  are used properly, reducing exposure to
  allergens, and quitting smoking
• Symptoms of Severe Asthma
• The severity of asthma can change over time. You
  might have received your asthma diagnosis and
  have mild symptoms but it can become severe if
  your symptoms get worse. You might have severe
  asthma if you
• Have asthma symptoms that occur throughout the
  day
• Wake up because of the symptoms, 7 nights per
  week for ages 5 and older or more than 1 night
  per week for children 4 and younger
• Have asthma symptoms that affect your daily
  activities
• Types of Severe Asthma
• Severe asthma can fall under three groups
• Untreated severe asthma
• When severe asthma occurs without being on any
  asthma treatment plan, it is considered to be
  untreated severe asthma. If proper treatment is
  provided and followed, it is possible to improve
  their condition, reduce the symptoms, and no
  longer have severe asthma

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• When there is poor control of asthma because of
  factors that are not asthma itself, it is
  considered to be difficult- to-treat severe
  asthma. This can be because of not following the
  prescribed medication, using inhalers without the
  proper technique, being exposed to triggers like
  smoking, or even some other medical issue.
• Treatment-resistant severe asthma
• This includes people diagnosed with asthma whose
  symptoms can only be controlled despite receiving
  the highest level of the recommended asthma
  treatment or not be controlled even if they do
  get this treatment. If it cannot be controlled,
  it might indicate that their body is insensitive
  to medication and any medicine given does not
  have the effect it is supposed to. The ones
  whose asthma can be controlled with a high level
  of treatment can be resistant to the medication,
  which means they need a higher dose to have the
  same effect. People who fall under this group
  are also at a high risk of symptoms getting worse
  if treatment is reduced or becomes unavailable.
• If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned,
  you should consult your doctor who will work with
  you to modify your asthma treatment to reduce
  the symptoms and bring your asthma under control.
  Your doctor will also be able to determine which
  type of severe asthma you have.