Today I wheezed, today I sneezed,
Today I learned a lesson.
That breathing in and out each day
Is really quite a blessing.

Some tubes connect my mouth to my lungs,
And at times they swell up like a balloon.
And when they do, the air squeaks through,
So my breathing appears out of tune.

This swelling occurs when I pat the dog,
Or run out in the cold.
When grass is cut, or leaves are raked,
Or when there’s lots of mold.

I’m absent when the tubes swell tight.
Some say I’m playing hooky,
But when breathing is a struggle,
I can’t even eat a cookie.

I’ve learned what I’ve got is called asthma.
It’s a good thing for me that I’m bright.
I test my breathing at the start of each day,
And avoid things that make the tubes tight.

The dog sleeps in the basement.
I keep my stuffed toys clean.
No one’s allowed to smoke inside,
Hope you don’t think that’s mean.

Sometimes no matter what I do
The tubes swell anyhow,
But I have tricks tucked up my sleeve.
I’ll share some with you now.

I puff special medicine into my mouth
With a nebulizer gadget.
It works to open up the tubes.
It really is like magic.

Before I play some basketball
Or run out in the rain,
I puff a different medicine.
Then I can join the game.

I don’t eat many junk foods,
And I try hard not to whine.
These tricks help me stay healthy,
So most times I’m just fine.

If breathing in and breathing out,
A zillion times each and every day.
Is something you do without a thought,
Thank God for this gift when you pray.

- Dr.R.Ravindranath

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People with asthma can take an active role in controlling their disease by identifying and reducing exposure to those factors that increase symptoms or cause asthma attacks. For example, if allergies trigger your asthma, being aware of those allergies and avoid them to significantly reduce the frequency or severity of asthma attacks.

What Are the Most Common Asthma Triggers?

• Upper respiratory infections. Cold and flu, bronchitis (infection of the large airways), or sinus infections can cause an asthma attack.
• Inhaled allergens. Eighty percent of people with asthma have allergies to airborne substances such as tree, grass and weed pollens, mold, animal dander, dust mites and cockroach particles.
• Medications. Many people with asthma are sensitive to aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), ketoprofen (Orudis) and beta-blockers (used to prevent migraine headaches and treat heart disease, high blood pressure and glaucoma).
• Food and food additives. Certain foods contain substances that can trigger asthma symptoms.
• Exercise. Strenuous exercise can cause a narrowing of the airways in about 80% of people with asthma.
• Irritants. Many irritants, including tobacco smoke, smoke from wood-burning appliances or fireplaces, strong odors from perfumes, and cleaning agents, etc., are all irritants that can trigger asthma. In addition, air pollution, occupational dust or vapors can also trigger an attack.
• Weather. Cold air, changes in temperature and humidity can cause asthma.
• Strong emotions. Anxiety, crying, yelling, stress, anger or laughing hard can trigger an attack.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

How Do Triggers Make Asthma Worse?
In people with asthma, the airways are always inflamed and very sensitive, so they react to a variety of external factors, or "triggers." Coming into contact with these triggers is what causes the airways to tighten, increase inflammation and become blocked with mucus, resulting in breathing problems, asthma, or worsening of asthma symptoms. An asthma attack can begin immediately after exposure to a trigger or several days or even weeks later.

There are many kinds of triggers. Reactions to them are different for each person and vary from time to time. Certain triggers may be harmless to some people but contribute to inflammation in others. Some people have many triggers while others have no identifiable ones. Recognizing and avoiding these triggers, when possible, is an important way to control asthma. Keep in mind, however, that the best way to control it is with asthma medicines.

How Do I Recognize What Triggers My Asthma?
Determining what factors were present when your asthma symptoms started is the first step to recognizing your asthma triggers. Although there are many different triggers, you may not react to all of them. Some people have only one trigger, while others have many.

Many asthma triggers can be identified through a history of reaction and skin or blood testing. Your doctor may also recommend using a device called a peak flow meter. The peak flow meter measures how much and how quickly air is exhaled from the lungs. It can alert you to changes in your breathing and the onset of asthma symptoms, triggered by an allergen.

Ask your doctor or asthma care provider if using a peak flow meter would be helpful to you.

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