Asthma: What you need to know

Asthma is a common condition that affects one in 9 Australians (that’s over 2.7 million people).¹

Asthma often starts in childhood, but it can happen for the first time at any age, including in late adulthood.

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that impacts the airways (tubes) that carry air in and out of the lungs.²

If you have asthma, your airways become irritated and inflamed. As a result, they become narrower and produce extra mucus. This makes it more difficult for air to flow in and out of your lungs and makes it hard to breathe.

People with asthma describe a flare-up or attack like trying to breathe through a straw.

The most common type of asthma is allergic asthma, which is caused by triggers or allergens such as dust, pollen, food and mould.³

Non-allergic asthma can be caused by reactions to illness, smoke, exercise, cold air, temperature changes and emotional reactions to stress or excitement.

Asthma can be seasonal or all year round, and symptoms can be exacerbated by things like workplace chemicals, medications and changes in the weather (including thunderstorms).

Asthma symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe. Most people with asthma breathe normally most of the time but may occasionally experience a flare-up (also known as an asthma attack).

Asthma flare-ups can develop slowly over hours or days, or may happen very quickly.⁴

Asthma symptoms are reversible (meaning that they will eventually go away) either naturally once you are away from the trigger or with the right treatment.

Symptoms of asthma include:

• coughing
• wheezing
• shortness of breath
• tightness in your chest.

Any symptom of asthma can be serious and could become life-threatening if left untreated. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, consult your doctor for a diagnosis and to create an asthma action plan.

As well as a reaction to allergens, your risk factor for asthma increases if there is a family history.

Things like pollution from gas cooktops and heaters, bushfires, traffic, tobacco smoke and other environmental or workplace chemicals may cause asthma symptoms after prolonged exposure.⁵

In addition:

• if you smoke during pregnancy, your baby has a higher risk of developing asthma⁶
• if you smoke and have young children, they are more likely to get asthma⁷
• premature or low birth weight babies are more likely to develop asthma⁸
• there is a link between viral respiratory infections and asthma development in children⁹
• obesity can be a cause of asthma.¹⁰

When you have asthma, irritants that cause a flare-up of your symptoms are called ‘triggers’.

These can include the allergens and causes above that continue to irritate and lead to flare-ups.

Emotions like laughter, grief, crying, stress, anxiety and depression can also trigger symptoms, as can exercise.

Certain medicines, such as aspirin, can trigger asthma in some people.¹¹

Other medical conditions can worsen symptoms too, such as sinusitis (inflamed sinuses) and viral infections like colds and flu.¹²

If you’ve been experiencing symptoms of asthma, it’s important to see your doctor straight away.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing severe asthma symptoms or having trouble breathing, call triple zero (000) immediately or take them to the nearest hospital emergency department.

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and whether you’ve noticed any factors that trigger them.

They will also perform an examination, review your medical history, and ask about any relevant family history, especially if there are conditions like asthma, eczema or hay fever (allergic rhinitis) in your family.

They’ll also check whether you have any other risk factors for asthma or other illnesses that are often associated with asthma.

There is no single test for asthma, but if your doctor suspects that your symptoms may be due to asthma, they will refer you for a spirometry test to see how well your lungs are working (lung function). Sometimes doctors may be able to do this test at their clinic.¹³

For this test you’ll be asked to blow into a tube as hard and for as long as you can. This is so the spirometry machine can measure how much air is being expelled from your lungs, for how long and how fast. You’ll then be asked to take a special medication (a reliever medication) and repeat the test again to see if this helps your symptoms.

Children under 6 years old aren’t strong enough to activate the spirometry machine when they blow into it, so it can’t be used to confirm asthma in this age group. Instead, the diagnosis is made based on a thorough examination and understanding of their symptoms and by seeing if they respond to asthma treatments. This approach is also used for older children who aren’t able to perform a spirometry.

Your doctor may also need to perform other tests to help understand your asthma better or to eliminate other possible causes of your symptoms.

This test also measures how fast air is expelled from your lungs and is sometimes used to monitor your lung function over time. It can be performed easily at home by anyone over 12 years of age using a hand-held device.

While this test can help your doctor better understand what is happening in your lungs, you’ll still need to do a spirometry test to confirm whether your symptoms are due to asthma. You can buy peak flow measurement devices at the pharmacy.

These may be done to eliminate other conditions which could be causing your symptoms.

This test will only be arranged if your spirometry test results aren’t clear. They’re mainly helpful for establishing a diagnosis in adults with suspected asthma.

This can help to find out whether you're allergic to certain substances. Your GP can provide a referral to an allergy specialist who will carry out the tests. It is not recommended to buy allergy tests online as they may not be accurate.

If you or someone you know is having severe asthma symptoms or having trouble breathing, call triple zero (000) immediately or take them to the nearest hospital emergency department.

If you have an asthma flare-up, follow the instructions in your written asthma action plan provided by your GP or healthcare professional.

If your medication is not relieving symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

Make sure you see your doctor when you go home from hospital so they can review your treatment and asthma action plan as it may need to be updated.

If you need to help someone who is having an asthma flare-up, the National Asthma Council Australia has a guide for what to do to help prevent an asthma emergency.

National Asthma Council Australia provides information and support for those living with asthma.

Asthma Australia offers support and advice online or by phone on 1800 278 462.