Asthma - Coughing, particularly in the morning or at night

 Asthma is a chronic disease that attacks your airways. Your airways are tubes that transport air in and out of your lungs. The inside walls of your airways become inflamed and swollen. That makes them very irritable, and they may react vigorously to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways respond, they get tighter and your lungs get less air.

Symptoms of asthma include

Wheezing

Coughing, particularly in the morning or at night

Chest tightness

Shortness of breath

Not all people who have asthma have these signs. Having these signs doesn't always indicate that you have asthma. Your physician will diagnose asthma based on lung function tests, your medical history, and a physical exam. You may also have allergy tests.

When your asthma symptoms become more serious than usual, it's called an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may need emergency care, and they can be fatal.

Asthma is managed with two kinds of drugs: quick-relief medicines to prevent asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms. Treatment regularly depends on your age, asthma severity, and response to a given treatment option. Your physician may change your treatment until asthma symptoms are controlled. Most people are treated long-term with the daily controller, along with another inhaler for short-term relief when they have symptoms or to prevent symptoms. An inhaler allows the medicine to go into the mouth and airway.

Short-term relief medicines also called quick-relief medicines, prevent symptoms or relieve symptoms during an asthma onset. They may be the only drugs required for mild asthma or asthma that happens only with physical activity.

Your physician will order a quick-relief inhaler for you to carry at all times. 

Inhaled short-acting beta2-agonists (SABAs) to immediately relax tight muscles around your airways. Side effects can involve tremors and rapid heartbeat. 

Oral and intravenous (IV) corticosteroids to lessen inflammation caused by severe asthma symptoms.

Short-acting anticholinergics help open the airways immediately. This medication may be less effective than SABAs, but it is an option for people who may have side effects from SABAs.

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