What is ASTHMA?

What is Asthma?
What is Asthma?

IF YOU HAVE ASTHMA,
YOU ARE NOT ALONE—
ABOUT 25 MILLION AMERICANS
SUFFER FROM THIS DISEASE.

Normally, the airways of your lungs are open, allowing the air you breathe to move in and out easily. When you have asthma, exposure to inhaled irritants, or triggers, can cause the walls of your airways to become inflamed and the muscles around the airways to tighten up. This makes your airways narrower, leaving less room for air to flow.

Watch to learn more about asthma

HOW IS ASTHMA DIFFERENT
FROM COPD, EMPHYSEMA, OR CHRONIC BRONCHITIS?

Asthma Severity

Patients 12 years of age or older with intermittent asthma experience symptoms 2 days a week or less, wake up at night 2 times a month or less, and experience no interference with normal activity.

Persistent asthma in people 12 years of age or older is classified as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on symptoms.

PEOPLE WITH MILD PERSISTENT ASTHMA

experience symptoms more than 2 days a week, but not daily and wake up at night 3 to 4 times a month, and have only minor limitation in their normal activity

PEOPLE WITH MODERATE PERSISTENT ASTHMA

experience symptoms every day, wake up at night more than once a week, and have some limitation in their normal activity

PEOPLE WITH SEVERE PERSISTENT ASTHMA

experience symptoms throughout the day, often wake up at night 7 times a week, and their normal activity is extremely limited

It is important to treat your asthma and have a plan that can help manage your condition.

Important Safety Information
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  • SYMBICORT combines an ICS, budesonide and a LABA medicine, formoterol. LABA medicines, such as formoterol, when used alone can increase the risk of hospitalizations and death from asthma problems. When an ICS and LABA are used together, this risk is not significantly increased
  • Do not use SYMBICORT for sudden severe symptoms of COPD or asthma
  • Before you use SYMBICORT, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have heart conditions or high blood pressure, and all the medicines you may be taking. Some patients taking SYMBICORT may experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, or change in heart rhythm
  • Do not use SYMBICORT more often than prescribed. SYMBICORT should be taken as 2 puffs 2 times each day
  • While taking SYMBICORT, do not use another medicine containing a LABA for any reason. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if any of your other medicines are LABA medicines
  • Call your healthcare provider or get medical care right away if:
    • Your breathing problems worsen
    • You need to use your rescue inhaler more often than usual or your rescue inhaler doesn’t work as well at relieving symptoms
  • SYMBICORT may cause serious side effects, including:
    • Using too much of a LABA medicine may cause chest pain, fast and irregular heartbeat, tremor, increased blood pressure, headache or nervousness
    • Fungal infection in your mouth or throat (thrush). Rinse your mouth with water without swallowing after using SYMBICORT to help reduce your chance of getting thrush
    • Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections. People with COPD may have a higher chance of pneumonia and other lung infections. ICS may increase the chance of getting pneumonia. Call your healthcare provider if you notice any of the following symptoms: increase in mucus production or change in color, fever, increased cough, chills, or increased breathing problems
    • Immune system effects and a higher chance for infections. Tell your healthcare provider about any signs of infection such as: fever, body aches, feeling tired, vomiting, pain, chills, or nausea
    • Adrenal insufficiency. This can happen when you stop taking oral corticosteroid medicines and start inhaled corticosteroid medicine
    • Increased wheezing right after taking SYMBICORT. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing
    • Serious allergic reactions including rash, hives, swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue, and breathing problems. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care if you get any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
    • Lower bone mineral density can happen in people who have a high chance for low bone mineral density (osteoporosis)
    • Slowed growth in children. A child’s growth should be checked regularly while using SYMBICORT
    • Eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using SYMBICORT
    • Swelling of blood vessels. This can happen in people with asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, rash, flu like symptoms, or pain and swelling of the sinuses
    • Decreases in blood potassium levels (hypokalemia)
    • Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
  • The most common side effects of SYMBICORT include:
    • COPD: throat irritation, thrush in the mouth and throat, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection
    • Asthma: throat irritation, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, throat pain, sinusitis, flu, back pain, nasal congestion, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and thrush in the mouth and throat

Approved Uses

COPD: SYMBICORT 160/4.5 mcg is used long-term to improve symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, for better breathing and fewer flare-ups.

Asthma: SYMBICORT is for the treatment of asthma in patients 6 years and older whose asthma is not well-controlled with an asthma-control medicine such as an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or whose asthma warrants treatment with both an ICS and a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (LABA).

SYMBICORT is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and will not replace a rescue inhaler.

You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products by clicking here

  • SYMBICORT combines an ICS, budesonide and a LABA medicine, formoterol. LABA medicines, such as formoterol, when used alone can increase the risk of hospitalizations and death from asthma problems. When an ICS and LABA are used together, this risk is not significantly increased
  • Do not use SYMBICORT for sudden severe symptoms of COPD or asthma
  • Before you use SYMBICORT, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you have heart conditions or high blood pressure, and all the medicines you may be taking. Some patients taking SYMBICORT may experience increased blood pressure, heart rate, or change in heart rhythm
  • Do not use SYMBICORT more often than prescribed. SYMBICORT should be taken as 2 puffs 2 times each day
  • While taking SYMBICORT, do not use another medicine containing a LABA for any reason. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if any of your other medicines are LABA medicines
  • Call your healthcare provider or get medical care right away if:
    • Your breathing problems worsen
    • You need to use your rescue inhaler more often than usual or your rescue inhaler doesn’t work as well at relieving symptoms
  • SYMBICORT may cause serious side effects, including:
    • Using too much of a LABA medicine may cause chest pain, fast and irregular heartbeat, tremor, increased blood pressure, headache or nervousness
    • Fungal infection in your mouth or throat (thrush). Rinse your mouth with water without swallowing after using SYMBICORT to help reduce your chance of getting thrush
    • Pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections. People with COPD may have a higher chance of pneumonia and other lung infections. ICS may increase the chance of getting pneumonia. Call your healthcare provider if you notice any of the following symptoms: increase in mucus production or change in color, fever, increased cough, chills, or increased breathing problems
    • Immune system effects and a higher chance for infections. Tell your healthcare provider about any signs of infection such as: fever, body aches, feeling tired, vomiting, pain, chills, or nausea
    • Adrenal insufficiency. This can happen when you stop taking oral corticosteroid medicines and start inhaled corticosteroid medicine
    • Increased wheezing right after taking SYMBICORT. Always have a rescue inhaler with you to treat sudden wheezing
    • Serious allergic reactions including rash, hives, swelling of the face, mouth, and tongue, and breathing problems. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care if you get any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
    • Lower bone mineral density can happen in people who have a high chance for low bone mineral density (osteoporosis)
    • Slowed growth in children. A child’s growth should be checked regularly while using SYMBICORT
    • Eye problems including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams while using SYMBICORT
    • Swelling of blood vessels. This can happen in people with asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of arms or legs, rash, flu like symptoms, or pain and swelling of the sinuses
    • Decreases in blood potassium levels (hypokalemia)
    • Increases in blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia)
  • The most common side effects of SYMBICORT include:
    • COPD: throat irritation, thrush in the mouth and throat, bronchitis, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection
    • Asthma: throat irritation, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, throat pain, sinusitis, flu, back pain, nasal congestion, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and thrush in the mouth and throat

Approved Uses

COPD: SYMBICORT 160/4.5 mcg is used long-term to improve symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, for better breathing and fewer flare-ups.

Asthma: SYMBICORT is for the treatment of asthma in patients 6 years and older whose asthma is not well-controlled with an asthma-control medicine such as an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or whose asthma warrants treatment with both an ICS and a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (LABA).

SYMBICORT is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and will not replace a rescue inhaler.

You may report side effects related to AstraZeneca products by clicking here

Read More