Not So Easy to Outgrow Asthma

You can outgrow that childhood stutter and teenage acne, but if you have asthma, it’s not always as easy to turn it into a thing of the past. While some illnesses can be cured with medications, asthma is a chronic, lifelong condition that can be controlled but usually doesn’t completely go away. However, the experts say that with proper care, there could be extended periods of time when your asthma won’t interfere with your life and you may feel so well that you’ll almost forget it exists. However, when you get a cold or flu or you undergo stressful times, you could find your symptoms resurfacing again.

Therefore, the best way to protect yourself is to always be on the lookout for signs of an impending attack and to be prepared to respond with a strategic treatment plan that will help keep your symptoms in check.

Managing Your Condition

A good treatment strategy takes a multi-pronged approach to dealing with your condition. To this end, it’s important to work with your doctor to develop an asthma action plan that can guide you through a host of scenarios and help you stay on top of your condition so it won’t be able to get the best of you. Key to its success is laying some important ground rules for you to follow that take into account what triggers your symptoms, when and how to take your medications for best results, and how to recognize and head off an attack before it begins.

In addition, it’s worth recognizing that some lucky people do find that once the symptoms are completely under control, they never do come back again.

When Asthma Begins

You may also want to keep in mind that although it’s difficult to outgrow asthma, it’s much easier to grow into it. In fact, not everyone’s asthma begins in childhood. In many cases, the condition doesn’t strike until later in life. Adults who never experienced asthma in the past could find that they suddenly have symptoms for the first time. Often a bad cold, other illness or exposure to certain chemicals or substances can trigger the condition.

Finally, while you may hear stories of kids who are said to outgrow asthma, the experts say that it’s more likely that they even never had it in the first place. They could have had other conditions that caused similar symptoms and eventually resolved over time.

Sources:

Asthma Initiative of Michigan (AIM)
www.getasthmahelp.org/userasthmaeducationmenu.asp

The Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/outgrow-asthma/AN01973