Should You Get Checked for Asthma?

1 in 12 Americans have asthma. Did you know certain triggers can lead to its onset during adulthood? Here are the symptoms to look for.

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By Anisa Arsenault, Associate Editorial Director May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. To better serve the 1 in 12 Americans who have asthma, Verywell's latest Health Divide is focusing on the communities who are disproportionately affected. Today's Top Story Should You Get Checked for Asthma? While asthma often appears during childhood, certain triggers can lead to an onset of the condition during adulthood. But would you know what symptoms to look for?   According to Farah Khan, MD, a board-certified allergist/immunologist, it's time to consult a physician if you're experiencing any of the following when you're not sick: • Wheezing • Coughing • Shortness of breath • Chest tightness If you wake up in the middle of the night with any of the above symptoms, that's a red flag, too. So is bursting into a coughing fit after laughing or crying. Know More Most providers use something called a spirometry test to get an objective measure of lung function. This can help them make a diagnosis. During a spirometry test, you breathe into a mouthpiece while your nose is clipped. The device then creates a graph of your lung function. Feel Better If you do have asthma, once you are prescribed an inhaler, your symptoms should drastically improve within a month. READ MORE When it comes to asthma, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people are disproportionately affected. FDA Scales Back Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Last Thursday, the FDA updated its emergency use authorization for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, citing concerns about the risk of rare but life-threatening blood clots. Now, the vaccine is only authorized for two groups of people: People 18 and over for whom Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are not accessible or clinically appropriate, and people 18 and over who choose Johnson & Johnson because they would otherwise not receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This restriction is the latest blow in a long line of setbacks for the J&J vaccine. READ MORE COVID Antivirals Fight Omicron Best As COVID-19 continues to change, the effectiveness of treatments is changing, too. The Omicron variant does not respond to some of the treatments that were used on earlier variants of COVID-19, like monoclonal antibodies. But two authorized antiviral pills—Pfizer's Paxlovid and Merck's Lagevrio—both appear to work well against the variant. At this time, they're not for everyone, though; you must meet certain eligibility criteria and get a prescription to take them. READ MORE   Keep Reading   ■ A Scientific Way to Flirt. Norwegian SciTech News     ■ Exactly How Much Vitamin D Do You Need? University of Otago     ■ Some Hamsters Are Extremely Susceptible to COVID-19. Science News More From Verywell How Much Does Asthma Care Cost? READ MORE An Overview of the J&J COVID Vaccine READ MORE More COVID Antivirals Coming to Pharmacies READ MORE   How'd we do? If you have any feedback, send us a note at   feedback@verywell.com.         You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.   A DOTDASH MEREDITH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2022 verywellhealth.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy