ALTOONA (WQOW) - Wheezing, coughing, having trouble breathing — these are all signs of asthma. May is asthma awareness month because for many, it's the time of year symptoms get worse.
Asthma is a disease that affects the lungs. It often starts in childhood, but for some it's something they live with all their lives.
For many with the condition, there are certain triggers that can make it harder to breathe. These include breathing in smoke, dust, or pet dander.
Dr. Dylan Timberlake with Prevea Health said half of the people with asthma also have symptoms of what he calls allergic triggers.
"Probably about 50% of people who have asthma have an allergic type of asthma where they do have allergic triggers," he said. "If you're someone where you notice that every single spring or spring through fall asthma symptoms are getting worse, knowing that if you look at that more as an allergic disease, I think sometimes we don't think of asthma like that, but trying to do things from an allergy side of things can actually help the asthma side of things as well."
Timberlake said asthma can be kept at bay with medications like an inhaler. Anyone who thinks they experience asthma symptoms should see their doctor.
