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Asthma

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a very common long-term lung condition. It affects the airways that carry air in and out of your lungs. In the UK, 5.4 million people have asthma – affecting one in every 12 adults and one in every 11 children.

People with asthma often have sensitive airways that can become inflamed in response to ‘triggers’. This results in symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or feeling breathless.

Asthma symptoms are variable. Sometimes people may not have symptoms for weeks or months at a time, but it is very important that a preventer inhaler is taken every day, even when well, to lower the risk of symptoms and asthma attacks.

Living with Asthma

Reliable information and advice to help people manage asthma is available from the major respiratory charities:

Further Information About Asthma

Inhalers, Medications
and Treatments

Inhaler Technique

Your Blue Inhaler
(Important Information)

Your Asthma Review

Asthma attacks –
What to do

Personalised Asthma Action Plan (PAAP)

Ayrshire & Arran Respiratory App

All of this information is also available on our Ayrshire & Arran Respiratory app which you can get by downloading the main NHS Ayrshire & Arran app from your Apple or Android app store and then selecting ‘Respiratory’ from the list.