Asthma: Are You Controlling it, Or is it Controlling You?

MayoClinic.com offers new asthma control test.

Rochester, MN (PRWEB) November 2, 2007 -- Asthma is a chronic but treatable condition. In the United States, about 20 million people have been diagnosed with asthma; nearly 9 million of them are children.

Asthma occurs when the main air passages of the lungs, the bronchial tubes, become inflamed. The muscles of the bronchial walls tighten, and cells in the lungs produce extra mucus, further narrowing your airways.

Several types of medications are available for treating and controlling asthma (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma-treatment/AS00011). Most individuals use a combination of long-term control medications and quick-relief medications.

The new asthma control test (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma-control-test/AS00031) featured on MayoClinic.com asks six questions to help determine how well an individual's asthma is controlled. The Asthma Center (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/asthma/AS99999) offers helpful information on managing asthma.

Here are a few questions individuals can ask their physician about asthma control:

-- Do I need to make any changes in my medications?

-- What changes can I make to prevent the occasional flare-up?

-- What can I do to find out what's triggering my symptoms?

-- How can I prevent flare-ups during exercise?

-- Can you help me design an asthma action plan?

About MayoClinic.com:

Launched in 1995 and now visited by more than 10 million users a month, this award-winning Web site offers health information, self-improvement, and disease management tools to empower people to manage their health. Produced by a team of Web professionals and medical experts, MayoClinic.com gives users access to the experience and knowledge of the more than 2,000 physicians and scientists of Mayo Clinic. MayoClinic.com offers intuitive, easy-to-use tools such as "Symptom Checker" and "First-Aid Guide" for fast answers about health conditions ranging from common to complex; as well as more in-depth sections on more than 25 common diseases and conditions, healthy living articles, videos, animations and features such as "Ask a Specialist" and "Drug Watch." Users can sign up for a free weekly e-newsletter called "Housecall" which provides the latest health information from Mayo Clinic. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.com.

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com (www.mayoclinic.com) is available as a resource for your health stories.

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