Before engaging in strenuous physical activity, children should perform warm-up exercises to prepare their bodies for activity. Children with asthma should not be excused from chores or school responsibilities. Those who suffer breathing problems during vigorous exercise generally are able to prevent wheezing by taking medication just before the activity. Indeed several well-known individuals with asthma have won Olympic gold medals. With appropriate care and use of inhalers, children and adults with asthma should be able to engage in normal physical activity, and this should always be a goal of therapy.
Treatment of asthma begins with identification and avoidance of known triggers when possible.
A clear understanding of the pathogenesis, namely the underlying airway inflammation, increased mucus production, and bronchoconstriction, leads the patient to accept a long term plan to prevent or suppress inflammation as well as to promote to bronchodiation with acute therapy using a bronchodilator. For very mild asthma, use of bronchodilators as necessary may be sufficient. For asthma of moderate or greater severity, a daily or continuous regimen is necessary. Treatment of an acute asthma attack is critical. The goal is to alleviate the airway obstruction by reducing airway inflammation, mucus secretion, and bronchial muscle constriction that block the airways and restore normal breathing.