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Article: Managing and treating asthma. (Medicine & Health).
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- July 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"I KNOW WHEN an asthma attack is starting. I cough; then my chest feels tight. I struggle for each breath and I get tired. I feel like I am suffocating. I fear my next breath will be my last.... Between attacks I feel fine." That is what a "typical" asthma sufferer experiences with this very serious disease.
Asthma is characterized by wide and sometimes rapid fluctuations in people's ability to move air in and out of their lungs. For some patients, symptoms are intermittent, while, for others, they are chronic. Cases of asthma are increasing at an alarming, even epidemic, rate. Asthma is more than a disease; it is a hot political topic. It is important to use ...