Asthma is a common problem that lasts a long time. It affects the tubes in your lungs. These tubes can get swollen and small, which makes it hard to breathe.

Signs of asthma are:

- Wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe)

- Feeling like you can't get enough air

- A tight feeling in your chest

- Coughing, a lot of times at night or in the morning

Tips: Use a picture chart to help remember the signs. Tell an adult if you feel these signs. Breathe slowly when you feel these signs.

Asthma can make it hard to breathe. Some things can make asthma worse. These things are:

• Dust and pollen
• Cold weather
• Smoke from fires or cigarettes
• Running or playing hard
• Colds and flu
• Feeling worried or upset

If you have asthma, talk to a doctor. They can help you find ways to feel better. You can also use pictures and apps to help you remember what makes it hard to breathe.

Doctors find out if you have asthma by doing three things. They ask you about your health, check your body, and use a special test called spirometry to see how well you can breathe.

What is a Peak Flow Meter?

A peak flow meter is a small tool. You hold it in your hand. It measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs. This helps you see how well you are controlling your asthma.

If you find reading hard, you can:

• Ask someone to read it with you.
• Use a reading app that reads the text out loud.
• Break the text into smaller parts and read slowly.

There are two main kinds of asthma medicines:

- **Relievers**: These are quick-help inhalers. They stop asthma attacks fast.

- **Preventers**: These are long-term control inhalers. They help stop asthma attacks from happening.

If you need help with reading, you can use tools like audiobooks or apps that read text out loud.

Asthma medicine can sometimes cause problems. These problems are:

• Getting a white coating in your mouth (called oral thrush).
• Having a rough, scratchy voice (called hoarseness).
• Sometimes, it can make your heart beat really fast. This is rare.

If you have any problems, talk to a doctor or nurse. A tool that can help is a reminder check-list. It can help you keep track of when to use your medicine. You can also use a spacer with your inhaler. This can help stop some of the mouth problems.

Asthma lasts a long time, and we can't make it go away. But we can help control it. Sometimes, asthma gets better, especially in kids.

See your doctor or asthma nurse once a year to talk about your asthma. Go more often if your asthma is not doing well.

If you have an asthma attack, here's what to do:

1. Use your special inhaler to help you breathe better.

2. Sit up straight. This helps with your breathing.

3. Stay calm. Try to breathe slowly and relax.

4. If you don't feel better, ask for help right away. Call an ambulance or go to the hospital.

Yes, regular exercise can help people with asthma feel better. Talk to your doctor for advice on how to manage asthma. They might suggest using your inhaler before you exercise.

To help with asthma, try to stay away from things that can make it worse. These things can be:

• Dust and pollen
• Cigarette smoke
• Dirty air
• Getting sick with a cold or the flu
• Feeling very stressed

You can use tools like air filters or apps to check air quality. Also, try to stay calm and take deep breaths.

Eating good food can help you feel better and might help with asthma. Some foods can make asthma worse, so it's good to talk to your doctor about it.

An asthma action plan is a piece of paper with steps written by your doctor or asthma nurse. It tells you how to take care of your asthma every day and what to do if there is an emergency.

Asthma can happen to anyone, no matter how old they are. But, lots of kids find out they have asthma when they are young. Still, grown-ups can start to have asthma too.