Asthma.pdf

Name: ________________________ 30 Curriculum Connection B2.4 What is Asthma? Asthma is a disease that causes breathing problems because the airways in the lungs get swollen, smaller, and filled with mucus. Asthma can be mild, meaning it doesn’t affect someone very much. Asthma can also be severe, ca...

Name: ________________________ 30 Curriculum Connection B2.4 What is Asthma? Asthma is a disease that causes breathing problems because the airways in the lungs get swollen, smaller, and filled with mucus. Asthma can be mild, meaning it doesn’t affect someone very much. Asthma can also be severe, causing people to take medication daily and avoid strenuous activity. What Causes Asthma? Experts aren’t 100% sure what causes asthma. It is common in kids and tends to run in families. People with asthma get flare-ups from time to time. A flare-up is when the airways in the lungs get swollen and shrink. Flare-ups happen due to triggers, like: Exercise – some kids only get asthma flare-ups when they exercise Allergens in the air like pollen, mold, and pet dander When they get a cold or flu Weather conditions Treating Asthma Avoid flare-ups by avoiding the triggers above. People with asthma can also take medicine that is inhaled directly into the lungs. This medicine opens up tight airways. Questions Use information from the text to support your answer 1. What is asthma? What happens to people with asthma? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How can someone treat asthma? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Making Connections Do you know anyone who has asthma? Have they had a flare-up? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ © Super Simple Sheets supersimplesheets.com